Σtella
Greece
“Up And Away is warmer and grittier than its ’80s-polished predecessors, infused with the ’50s/’60s trad folk and hybrid pop records her grandparents and parents spun for her. UK producer Tom ‘Redinho’ Calvert, meanwhile, brings knowledge of ’60s soul traditions, creating myriad twists on two seemingly opposing strands, starting with the title track’s bouzouki/(zinger-style) kanun laced with a Motown beat.”
James McNair, MOJO
“I LOVE this perfect pop record. The homages to the bazouki and other taverna style Greek folk pop flourishes manage to walk the line between tongue in cheek and lovingly rendered integration. While Stella’s record would have been terrific even without these things – a wonderfully tracked and catchy collection of thoughtful indie pop – these twists put the record over the edge into a category above.”
jaxers, Bandcamp
Σtella made her Sub Pop debut in 2022 with the mesmerizing Up and Away, an old-school pop paean to the pangs and raptures of love. From the Greek folk-inflected get-go, we’re swept up in Σtella’s world – and it’s quite the captivating place to be. The singer-songwriter joined forces with artist and producer Tom Calvert (aka Redinho) in a match made in Athens. Across her output, Σtella has proven herself a strong storyteller, and Up and Away is no exception (the guise of the medieval bard she assumes on the cover is telling). Rollicking album opener “Up and Away” launches us headlong into an all-consuming affair. She’s caught, she shivers, thrilled by a new beginning, the sweetness of her vocals offset by vertiginous, blistering blasts of bouzouki. Expect her new adventure in the first months of 2025.