Press & Reviews

Mama Said – Samantha Starr Stefanik (reviewed by Dave Franklin)

https://dancing-about-architecture.com/mama-said-samantha-starr-stefanik-reviewed-by-dave-franklin/

Everyone seems to be good at giving advice these days, though most of what people will claim to be their inner truths, words of wisdom garnered the hard way, are, more usually in this internet age, something that they heard a 19-year-old reality TV start share on TikTok or a meme that their co-worker posted to Facebook. But, if you are going to take anyone’s advice, your mother is usually a safe bet, a wellspring of experience, a fount of all knowledge.

Samantha Starr Stefanik knows this; why else would she have written a song about it, not only a song but the opening, titular salvo of her debut EP? And, although most of the songs found here lean into more slightly heavier realms, or at least more upbeat, this opener is a spacious and seductive piece, running on a slow groove and clothed only in the most minimal of sonics. But then, when you have words this wise, why not let them speak for themselves? Not to mention, when you have a voice this great, why would you bury it in rock noise or pop posturing?

“Light Me Up” ups the sonic game, moving things into a bluesy rock ‘n’ roll place, replete with funky guitar licks and growling chords, crashing percussion, and the sort of infectious energy that persuades even the most ardent wallflower to make a beeline for the dance floor.

To keep things fresh, “88 Women” embraces a gentle ska groove, not quiet reggae in the truest sense but more an intriguing mix of its signature sounds – syncopated off-beat guitars juggling the on-beat groove, the laid back, staccato sonics – in a pop-rock package, but it is the lyrics which are the most intriguing part of this already intriguing song. Who are the 88 Women? Separate aspects of her personality, perhaps, some of whom haven’t survived the ravages of life? Metaphysical ghosts of past lives? Who knows?I love the vagueness and the room left for everyone to make up their mind.

“Bazooka” is the current single, again, a return to rock and roll, although this time round, slightly more relaxed, slightly country-tinged, and if truth be told, slightly…well, awesome, and the perfect mesh of muscle and melody. We end as we started, in the more finessed folk that we have come to expect from Samantha Starr Stefanik, “I Saw It Coming” feeling like the sort of deft folk-pop that Carole King made her name with.

As debuts go, it is the perfect calling card and mission statement. It speaks volumes. It tells us that here is an artist able to move between genres and find her take on them. It tells us that we have a new kid on the block who has something to say but does so in the most accessible of ways. And it tells us that here we have a fantastic songwriter, one who both nods to established tradition and is heading straight for a bright future.

Definitely an artist to keep an eye on, not to mention at least one ear.

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Samantha Starr Stefanik – Mama Said (reviewed by The Ark of Music)

https://thearkofmusic.com/samantha-starr-stefanik-mama-said/

The best music too often is buried; and that’s why we’re absolutely stoked to listen to Samantha Starr Stefanik’s show-stopping debut EP, “Mama Said,” released via Rosebud Lyrics & Rhythm Recordings, LLC.

Winner of three awards at Indie Music Channel’s 2025 Radio Music Awards, including Best Americana Artist, Best Americana Song and Best Americana Songwriter, this New Jersey-based singer-songwriter is currently riding the fast-track to the top. Listen to her EP here, and get ready to jump on the bandwagon of rare and lucky souls who can say “I was a fan before she became famous!”

Featuring five smokey tracks, each charged with the vivid authenticity of chart-topping hits, this dark and sultry Americana EP comes coiled with striking elements of folk and blues, enriched by additional, wildcard inspirations glimmering within its eclectic rock mix.

Title track “Mama Said,” is plush with bluesy melodies; bold, deep, yet glittering like star-spewing nebulae in the blackest night. Stefanik’s voice, tinged with the luxuriant darkness of Lana Del Rey, sings life lessons through her lyrics, leading us through this downcast world towards “better, brighter days.”

Gritty rock riffs electrify “Light Me Up,” a track capturing all the wild grooves booming from your fave beer-splattered downtown venue. Jagged indie guitar rhythms bleed out into lush, ringing chords, crowned by Stefanik’s flawless rock goddess vocals: beautiful, ruthless and intoxicating. And if the band didn’t blow you away on the title track, they certainly will on this one — phenomenal riffs by both Stefanik and Jeff Coulter pinned down by the driving beats of Bryan Lamar.

“88 Women” comes freshly carved with the tropic grooves of reggae. A humid and juicy track steeped in devious, cut-throat aesthetics, there’s something about this song which strikes like a Y2K anthem; chart-topping mid-noughties vibes injected directly into Stefanik’s dazzlingly modern context. This slow jam is the ultimate song to strut down the street to, wearing your new heeled boots and feeling like a killer Queen Bee.

The short and sweet lead single “Bazooka” wraps its lyrics in mystical imagery, soundscape toned with the midsummer’s warmth of indie rock and the dusky bliss of country. It’s an A-class hit patiently, anxiously, waiting to breach the Top 10 and steal the weekly chart show.

The EP simmers down to an acoustic lullaby on closing-track “I Saw It Coming;” a serene song of parting, melancholic as a breakup with a long-term partner you can’t imagine untangling souls from, yet freshened by that clear-skied feeling of a long-craved emotional release.

Like a true creative, Stefanik is pushing her debut EP release far beyond the usual boundaries. With “Mama Said” now available via all major streaming platforms, Stefanik is also offering fans an extra special and absolutely unique means of picking up her record – on an exclusive, signed USB guitar! What on Earth are we on about? Each package, available via rosebudrhythm.com, includes a pipsqueak USB stick adorably shaped like a wooden acoustic guitar, packed with the 5 songs comprising Stefanik’s EP (plus album artwork!), and presented in a little wooden box. It’s the ultimate commemorative edition, capturing Stefanik’s fresh and folksy energy to a T.