Album Review: Ruby Throat, Stone Dress

Katie Jane Garside returns after four years sailing around the world on her boat Iona with a new album made with her partner Chris Whittingham. Stone Dress is an indie rock album, perfectly named. The melodies are delicate, while the lyrics are harsh and bring a toughness to the tracks.

The title track 'Stone Dress' is a beautiful opening song. Garside's vocals are somewhat haunting, yet make for a gentle, calming track. Followed by 'Swan and The Minotaur' listeners will ease into the chilling nature of the album.

'Also Elizabeth, Daughter Of The Above' changes the tone of the album ever so slightly bringing in a blues influence. This idea is also heard in 'Beneath My Undress'. The guitar accompaniment adds to the motif, however the backing vocals in the outro stay true to the alt genre and lead into the next track very well ('In The Arms of Flowers').

The single 'Dog Song', which was recorded out at sea, has a raw energy about it. It marks the middle ground between intense anger and softness. It's the kind of song you would expect on the album given the title.

'Ghost Boy' is a gorgeous song to conclude the album. It pulls elements from the other twelve tracks to create one send-off song. It features Garside's sweet, yet eerie vocals with a full sounding accompaniment.

Out 9 November. Available for pre-order now.

7/10