Stella Dawes sent us a promo of Contrasts with a press sheet on which they wrote too much about themselves. In all honestly, it turned me off to their album before I even listened to the twelve songs. They say their influences are "Poison the Well, Underoath" and "'screamo' bands." Thankfully, the music isn't exactly what I anticipated. The vocals overshadow the music, which is irritating, but there are plenty of times when this does not matter. In fact, my favorite parts on Contrasts are the instrumental sections. "Gut" uses loops to create a unique sound, but "Happy Ever Afternoon" sounds like a bad Burnt by the Sun rip-off. Stella Dawes should work to exact their sound, because there is definitely something worthwhile on Contrasts - it's just not that easy to find.
