Review by Molly Tie

There’s always a space in my brain for more hauntingly beautiful female voices that put out delicately crafted tracks, so it was no bother to squeeze Stone Cold Grace into my noggin with new single ‘Late to the Party’.

Stone Cold Grace is the solo indie folk project of Sara Johnson, a multi-faceted creative who desires to unravel even the smallest pockets of the human experience. Her debut, phantom reciprocity, is a raw body of work focusing on coming of age in a time where relationships have developed a new meaning. 

‘Late to the Party’ is described as a homage to “anyone who has ever been made to feel like they are hard to love”. The lyrics chronicle a party, a friendship group not as intact as it once was, and a romantic falling out.

There’s some nice crisp production in this track which enables Sara’s voice to take centre stage and a general ambience throughout that is very reminiscent of Mazzy Star. There’s no need for many additions save for a guitar, a bass which comes in to add a bit of texture and some beautiful harmonies as the track builds up.

The track is the ‘Aries’ addition to the Zodiac Series put out by Weird Sister Records, an independent record label and collective based in Brooklyn New York, started last year by Deanna DiLandro and Madison Hetterly. Across 2022, one new single will be released at the top of each zodiac season with their partners at Believe Distribution. The first release – ‘Or Nothing’ by Bel – coincided with season of Aquarius. The label aim to showcase 12 different singles by 12 different artists throughout the year.

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