Meaningful Stone‘s COBALT will kick your ass in the best way. I really like A Call from My Dream and the low-key introduction of folk styles that grew into larger rock-infused tracks. Now with COBALT, Meaningful Stone’s EP is a step into the indie rock and rock genres with a larger full band sound, confident vocals, and added variety in the songwriting. In five songs, Meaningful Stone presents an evolution into an artist that requires your attention.
Starting the EP with the identical title, “COBALT,” Meaningful Stone immediately blasts your ears with this bigger audioscape. What she showed at the end of A Call from My Dream is realized at the start. The bass and drums add a lot of atmospheres and each beat is full of sound. The verses might strip things back for the bigger chorus, but you can easily hear her confidence in this chosen path.
“Most” sounds like a connector between her past full length and the EP. It carries a lot of the more indie folk elements that she crafted so well and brings them to new life with full band support. The recording and mixing of the songs help present the full power of the song ideas. The step that Meaningful Stone has taken in building her songs is amazing because there was a level of apprehension in some of the songs on her full length. COBALT is free and it really sounds like she’s having fun.
The main single, “Dancing in the rain,” is the perfect introduction to new listeners. It’s got a slight garage rock and punk fusion mixed with indie pop that sounds familiar but carries her signature from start to finish. “Dancing in the rain” sounds and feels fresh. Instead of trying to cater to audience wishes, Meaningful Stone is creating music that contains joy for the audience and captures emotions that have been lost in music.
Including an atmospheric and background audio track with “Mangwon street” late in the EP is an interesting choice and feels like an introduction for “Fly.” You would almost expect “Mangwon street” to open the EP before jumping into “COBALT” and waking you up with a different energy.
“Fly” is a combination of A Call from My Dream and COBALT. The song uses the folk elements that succeeded on the album and brings them into Meaningful Stone’s new universe. The track actually reminds me a bit of US bands like Foxing. Meaningful Stone also expands the song with brass giving “Fly” an even wider soundscape that is lead with her vocals.
From my first listen to COBALT, I have been addicted to listening to the EP on repeat. The multiple steps forward have been amazing and there isn’t a lost track. Each one is impressive and cements her as an artist to watch. COBALT replaces A Call from My Dream and opens the door for even more amazing things.
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Chris P
Korean Indie owner and Editor at Large. Constantly looking for new music and working on library parity on Spotify and YouTube Music.