Stella West – Ode to the Devil (Mother Mary) (2021)
From her upcoming wild west concept album, Stella West is unleashing the pain in ‘Ode to the Devil (Mother Mary)’. With rich lyrics and a unique melody, the single tells the story of a woman pleading with Mother Mary for a release from the turmoil she feels. Packed with a deluge of inner conflict and desperation, the single brings a jazzy feeling to a tasteful exploration of pain and religion.
The storytelling ability West showcases in her music combines her long love for songwriting with a love for poetry. She started writing songs after hearing Dolly Parton on the radio at around age nine and hasn’t stopped since. Now, she is drawing on the inspiration of westerns and cowboy movies for her latest releases.
‘Ode to the Devil (Mother Mary)’ pulls you in with a sombre piano line that brings a touch of darkness with it. This line gets a little jazzy inflection as the opening progresses. The piano-driven melody is relatively minimalistic which bolsters the calling quality of the vocals. At times, there are these shuffling tones that make an entrance only to retreat backing into oblivion. With just the piano for most of the single, you get a very intimate vibe to the music.
Over the piano-driven melody is West’s enthralling vocals. Through her performance, you are drawn into the musing of the narrative while getting an idea of the reason why she is calling for an end to her turmoil. Her voice is carefully laced with pain which comes through the hardest on the chorus. There is a wonderful pleading quality to her performance that is rather understated yet sinks into your chest. This pleading twists as the single continues and gives way to a thirst for vengeance and understanding that salvation is not coming.
Stella West fills you with the pain and turmoil of ‘Ode to the Devil (Mother Mary)’ through a pleading performance that takes a turn to vengeance. Against a minimalistic melody, her vocals shine as she works through pain, a call for salvation and the realisation that this is not coming. As a taster for the upcoming album, it makes you yearn to hear more if only to know what the main character is going to do.
Find out more about Stella West on her website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
