Spectreview: Stella Donnelly – Beware of the Dogs

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“My smile is pasted on, my smile is pasted on”

What’s most striking about Stella Donnelly as an artist, besides her crystal-clear voice, is her crystal-clear sentiments. True to her Australian heritage, she speaks bluntly about the ways of the world that bear injustice, to herself and those she cares for. Beware of the Dogs fleshes out the stark, lucid musings of her 2017 EP Thrush Metal, with the addition of a full band lending a new heft to her compositions. More than ever she aims to be combative, not only against her friend’s rapist (as on Thrush Metal’s “Boys Will Be Boys,” finding another home here) but against shitty lovers (“Allergies”), shitty bosses (“U Owe Me”), shitty coworkers (“Season’s Greetings”) and shitty powerful white men the world over (“Old Man”). The medicine comes with a decent helping of sugar: besides the newfound punch of drums and bass, Donnelly’s smartly-written songs shine even more with an indie-pop sheen, the kind of sound borne from golden FM and folded over and over through the last decade like a croissant. If you’re looking for a shot of honesty in a world of bullshit, look no further: Beware of the Dogs will definitely do it for you.

Recommended after spending too much time on Facebook.