Stella Donnelly is a proud, self-proclaimed shit-stirrer. Her electrifying debut album, Beware of the Dogs, features lead single and biting album opener, Old Man, in which she targets the songs titular creep, Oh are you scared of me old man or are you scared of what Ill do? You grabbed me with an open hand. The world is grabbing back at you. When something needs to be said, whether its to an abusive man, a terrible boss, or a clueless significant other, the 26-year old Fremantle, Western Australian-based musician is fearless in telling it like it is.

Delivered entirely with a sarcastic wink and a full heart, Beware of the Dogs proves across 13 life-affirming songs the power in sticking up for yourself, your friends, and whats right.

Since 2017, Donnelly has spent much of her time on tour. She returned home during one of Western Australias chilly winters in June 2018 to finally record her debut full-length. To flesh out the album, she recruited a full band of her best friends bassist Jennifer Aslett, drummer Talya Valenti, and guitarist George Foster and worked alongside producer Dean Tuza who helped the songs branch out in adventurous ways without losing any of the intimacy and warmth of her EP. Jangly guitars zip and careen over the kinetic single Tricks, where she takes aim at racist Australian pride and the absurdity of the music industry: You only like me when I do my tricks for you. Elsewhere, Allergies recalls the stripped down ethos of her EP with a performance so emotional and honest it feels like shes in the room with you. Whether its her career, her country, her family, or her relationships, Donnellys knack for nuance shines on Beware of the Dogs.

Beware of the Dogs is a portrait of Donnelly taking charge. It showcases an artist totally in command of her voice, able to wield her inviting charm and razor-sharp wit into authentically raw songs. She says, this album made me feel like I was back in the drivers seat. It was really liberating and grounding to realize that no one can fuckk with this except me.