Amanda Stewart - Venom

by Zena Grieg

published: 5 / 12 / 2023

Label: Amanda Stewart
Format: CD

intro

Eclectic, reflective and passionate second album from Montana singer-songwriter Amanda Stewart which stands up to repeated listening

Montana roots singer-songwriter Amanda Stewart has brought out a new record, her second, the follow-up to her debut album ‘Miss American Lie.’ ‘Venom’ is an appealing mix of Americana pop, careering between highs and lows, key themes relationships, loss, the impact of current events and ultimately finding a way through: “I just want people to feel ok with whatever they’re feeling. There are songs about a lot of serious and difficult things, and also songs about fleeting moments in my life… I want people to get these songs stuck in their head, so that they can be reminded that someone else has been where they may be at now, or have been before in life.” Songs to listen out for in this twelve-track collection include: the mournful, longing opener ‘Another Broken Song’; the indie-rock ‘Window’ with its propelling, hard-strummed guitars; the plaintive, atmospheric single ‘Drugs’ with its heartbreaking lyrics, a collaboration with Nashville band Cabin Boys members Colin Elmore and Reuben Bidez; the nostalgic, bittersweet ‘Barn Crazy’ with its striking guitar riff, evoking memories of growing up around horses on her grandfather’s ranch; the sparse, acoustic ‘Lonesome Mountain’; the catchy, insinuating title track; melodic, country-folk ‘Town Pump' with its longing for a simpler time; the strident ‘Saved’, highlighting Stewart’s powerful vocals; ‘Right Next To You’ with its stark expression of vulnerability; and the banjo drumbeat-driven closer ‘When You Know’. Eclectic, reflective and passionate, ‘Venom’ is an album worthy of repeated listening.

Track Listing:-

1 Another Broken Song
2 Window
3 The Monarchy
4 Drugs
5 Barn Crazy
6 Lonesome Mountain
7 Venom
8 Leave
9 Town Pump
10 Saved
11 Right Next to You
12 When You Know