Stress Dolls – [Album]

Stress Dolls
Queen of No
(Sun Pedal Recordings)
Queen of No, the new Stress Dolls album, lives up to the band name. It is a journey through head Stress Doll Chelsea O’Donnell’s anxieties, ranging from health issues (she suffers from Crohn’s Disease), relationships, social media and more existential questions. Though the music is firmly based in pop-punk, a variety of styles illuminate the various themes which run through the album. In general, the more declarative songs — where she directly confronts her worries (“Body,” “Crazy,” “Queen of No”) — rock the hardest; the more introspective tunes get a quieter, spacey treatment.

I use the phrase pop-punk reluctantly, mostly because I associate it with a certain hyper-masculine form of teenage angst. Musically, it does fit here though; O’Donnell re-recorded two songs (“Alone” and “Crazy”) to make them poppier. But, as is common in other male-dominated music forms such as country and metal, female artists often bring a different sensibility with them. Stress Dolls do deal with angst here, but with a more mature attitude, not to mention having real-life worries to sing about.

The journey starts with “Alone,” which a song about a relationship gone wrong, on the surface. “How dare you remind me, living in fond memories/ Pretending we’re still friends.” The song rises above the specifics of that relationship to evoke an atmosphere of anxiety, which pervades the entire album. This version rocks harder than the original, semi-acoustic take, yet still maintains a questing atmosphere.

“Body,” the second song, addresses the singer’s health issues and gets right to the point. “My body ain’t built to do the things I tell it to.” Still, it comes off as a surprisingly cheerful declaration. The song is full of “dah-dah-dah” choruses which pep it up.

“Close Enough,” an atmospheric tune about searching for meaning and salvation, slows the pace, without changing the themes.

“Waiting softly, for someone to save me
It feels so wrong now but once I felt it was right
It only takes a second for us all to figure out
That no one’s coming and that’s what it’s all about”

Nothing is resolved; the anxiety continues.

Things get rocking again with “Ghostwriter,” about feeling like one does not control their own life, again a reference to O’Donnell’s health issues. “I can’t re-work the plot/ Already wrote the end, but it isn’t what you want.” A soaring violin by Sally Schaefer adds to the tension.

A run of three songs examines O’Donnell’s relationship with the internet. “Illusion” returns to the atmospheres of “Close Enough” for another bout of introspection. In this case, about how social media affects our sense of self. “I heard we’re meant to be ghosts, trapped between life and death/ Pixelated and fading until nothing is left.” She continues the critique in the rocker “Crazy.” “Who needs the whole story/ when you’ve got a summary?/ The whole world has gone crazy/ and so have I.” In both of these, she is less commenting on how the internet affects our self-image than critiquing how it influences our relationship with reality.

The next song, “Pretty,” is the third to address social media. It returns to a contemplative, slower tempo. It starts out tackling the surface concerns with self-image. “I want to be pretty, but I can’t make you see me.” Then it critiques the whole concept of “pretty,” while admitting we all get sucked into it:

“For the one who pretended not to car
About “the look” or what to wear
For the one who claimed not to drink the poison of what other people think:
Do you find me pretty?
Do you fancy me pretty?
Do you think that I’m pretty?
Yeah, pretty wicked for a [saint]”

That last line, which is repeated throughout the song, puts a completely different spin on the concept, turning the song on its head.

At this point I should make it clear that, while I am being pretty cavalier about telling you what these songs are about, I have no special insight. This is just what I get out of them. You may get something completely different.

That seems to tie in nicely with the title song, which covers a pretty common writer’s worry. Am I getting my point across? “I write, and wait, and write again, but it never is enough.” This song is another rocker, as she has something to get off her chest. In terms of the journey, this is the point where the hero become full of self-doubt. Have I accomplished anything? Was it worth it?

Judging from the next song, “Spark,” the conclusion may be, dust yourself and try again. “Take it back, to the beginning/ Light the spark.”

The album ends triumphant, “Better.” She reviews her history of illness, then declares “Fuck yeah! I’m better than I’ve been in a while.” Yet she does make it clear the struggle continues. “I hate this story so much, hate the part I’ve become…/ But there’s still this murky water that is dredging up in me.” Here, she seems to acknowledge that his album is part of the healing process, processing that “murky water.” It remains an ongoing project.

In the end, despite the heavy material, the album’s overall mood is positive. We’ve gone on a journey with O’Donnell, through her various insecurities, but come out the other side confident and refreshed. Or at least, “better than I’ve been in a while.” She has said, “I think that being able to harness the negative energy of anxiety and turning it into something creative helps to ease it for me.”

Take this journey with Stress Dolls. You’ll probably end up feeling better as well. [G. Murray Thomas]

Artist:
https://stressdollsmusic.com
https://www.facebook.com/stressdollsmusic
https://www.instagram.com/stressdolls

Album:
Queen Of No is out now. Buy it here, directly from the band;s bandcamp page.

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