It’s not like FLOOD marks a 180 degree turn from Stella Donnelly’s earlier songs. Three years ago, Donnelly’s voice sounded as bell-like as it does now, and her fluffy, occasionally very crisp indie-pop approach hasn’t changed either
changed beyond recognition. These are small readjustments that have an overall effect, which – as with almost all recently released records – took place during the corona lockdowns. For example, the Perth-based artist has discovered her passion for birdwatching, see the waterfowl on the cover.
Musically, however, Donnelly’s idea of swapping instruments with her fellow musicians has a stronger impact. So instead of playing the guitar, Stella found herself playing the piano, which she hadn’t played since she was a child. The songs created in this experimental arrangement are characterized by lightness on the one hand, but also a certain caution – except for the folk rock “Move Me” and the glamorous final track “Cold”, mostly quiet introspection is the order of the day.
It’s a bit of a shame that Donnelly’s lyrics on this album aren’t as concretely feminist as they are on, for example, her hit “Boys Will Be Boys”. But at least she comments in “How Was Your Day” on the failure of heteronormative couple idyll with gentle cynicism.
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