After her recently released debut album, Eyes Of Glass, burgeoning singer-songwriter Stella Rose highlights a standout from the project with a new visualizer for “Jane.” Though she’s the daughter of Depeche Mode singer Dave Gahan, her music bears more similarity with PJ Harvey, whose influence can be felt; down to the presentation and instrumentation. That’s not to discredit her music, as it’s clear she’s more concerned with writing new and exciting material that doesn’t immediately call for comparison.
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“Muddled Man” and “Angel” showed Rose could capture the extremities of heightened emotions, whether monstrous or beautiful, respectively. But “Jane” falls somewhere in between, still raw in thought and emotion yet more pristine and pleasant to the ear, proving she’s coming into her own as an exciting act.
When it comes to Rose’s music, the song begins with the quavering yet blossoming guitar lines trailing along to the vocals, never taking the spotlight away from her. Then, taking center stage, she almost sings in disgust as she calls out to Jane on what sounds like a twisted version of a Billie Holiday tune. That’s primarily due to her layered vocals, creating the effect of a ghost quartet singing in tandem. But the songwriting instead follows a more longing perspective.
Solely from Rose’s voice, the yearning is immense, at first seemingly calling out to a romantic partner or someone she could rely on. But looking further into the lyrics, the song reveals itself about the street she spent her childhood in, the West Village neighborhood of NYC. Only then does the track reframe not about a specific person but a particular time that can’t be preserved forever.
Using a VHS recorder, the visualizer resembles the style of a black and white found footage horror flick or a deep web snuff film found on a dodgy hard drive. Sometimes showing Rose playing music and lounging around a house, there’s almost a voyeuristic vibe to it all. It works well as an extension of “Jane” and what Rose aims to achieve: an artistic voice to carve her future with inspiration from her past.
Words: David Sosa
“Jane” by Stella Rose is out on all streaming services. Her new album, Eyes of Glass, is also available to stream. For more on new music, follow her on Instagram.
