SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: AVALON STONE – MEANT TO BREAK

AVALON STONE
MEANT TO BREAK
KNOWN ACCOMPLICE

Hailing from Kitchener, ON, Avalon Stone has delivered her debut studio EP, Meant To Break. While following the release of singles “Into The Rain” and “Mirage,” released since last November, Stone has cultivated a noteworthy buzz among the independent rock scene since 2023 with previously released singles “Forget You,” “Shaking Me Up,” and “Cliffhanger.”

Meant To Break opens with the driving force pf the lead single, “Into The Rain,”, a track driven by ripping guitars and an up-tempo verse before erupting in a momentous, half-time chorus. Stone’s vocals shine with a powerfully gritty tone that leads the band through the shifting pulse of the opening track. “Mirage,” the second single, follows. Embracing a droning, sludgy tone, “Mirage” is much more reminiscent of the grunge of the ‘90s and, again, is highlighted by a stratospheric chorus, further demonstrating Stone’s songwriting and production prowess.

While there is a level of grit to the opening singles, the remaining songs on Meant To Break indulge in a darker energy that often equates a greater intensity. For example, “The Edge” is a hard-hitting track that weaves between competing passages – from a winding verse to an explosive pre-chorus, and, finally, an anthemic chorus to deliver a gripping rocker. Similarly, “Nosebleed” plays with dynamics in a stunningly dark soundscape in a building arrangement that sees swampy slide guitar accent a modern hard rock sound in what is perhaps the strongest song on Meant To Break; however, the guttural and soaring vocal wails near the end of “Earn Your Love” alone makes for a climatic closer and demonstrates the sheer power behind Stone’s voice.

Over the course of six songs, Stone demonstrates her worth as an absolute powerhouse of a singer, guitarist, and songwriter on Meant To Break. By building off the initial hype surrounding her original five singles, Stone has effectively made her debut EP feel both massive and highly anticipated. Not only does Meant To Break deliver on this tangible feeling of excitement as a compelling statement among the Canadian independent scene, making Stone a definite artist to watch

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