STELLA DONNELLY
Beware of the Dogs
(Secretly Canadian)
Stella Donnelly’s debut full-length, Beware of the Dogs, blends the personal and the political (which, for many—including Donnelly, one can assume—there is often little separation). The Australian singer/songwriter’s voice is clear and welcoming with a touch of gentle vibrato, but she doesn’t sugarcoat lyrics—unless you count the sweetened guitar that carries them. From the ethereal title track (“There’s no parliament/Worthy of this countryside”), to the cutting “Old Man” (“Your personality traits/Don’t count if you put your dick/In someone’s face”), to the acoustic heartbreaker “Boys Will Be Boys” (“Why was she all alone/Wearing her shirt that low?”), Donnelly’s sharp wit and melodic softness are brilliantly balanced. 4/5
Beware of the Dogs is out March 8, 2019
By Emily Nokes
This piece originally appeared in the March/April 2019 print edition of BUST Magazine. Subscribe today!
More from BUST
4 Women Folk Singers You Should Know About
Singer-Songwriter Emmy Wildwood Understands That “Everything Hurts”: BUST Premiere
Meg Myers’ “Take Me To The Disco,” Track-By-Track: BUST Premiere