‘Mona’ is the unique new track from alt-R&B artist Stella Talpo. Her debut EP, Space, was released and in 2016 and she has gone from strength to strength since then. This track opens with a lo-fi beat that combines a thin acoustic guitar line with a distant percussion, leaving her airy voice to guide us through delicate melodies. By the end of the track, a hi-hat and some backing vocals have joined in, but she has mostly managed to keep us interested using just a minimalist loop and her voice. Lyrically, the track is about the voice in the back of your head: “it’s about divine intervention pushing us towards a destiny that not even we might think we’re capable to pursue. It’s about intuition, pilgrimage, personal transformation, surrender and the art of letting go of what we think our journey should be to give space for our true purpose to reveal itself”. Be sure to check out the rest of Talpo’s soulful, authentic back catalogue. - Dan Peeke