A compellingly anthemic rock spirit emanates from “Least of All Her,” the latest single from Mary Strand. The Minneapolis-based songwriter and musician caught our ears in February with the track “Costa Rica,” and “Least of All Her” continues to showcase her penchant for soaring, reverberating songwriting. Once again featuring Ryan Smith (Soul Asylum, The Melismatics) — here on lead guitar, E-Bow, and backing vocals — “Least of All Her” thematically conveys empowerment for women experiencing domestic violence around the world, while also calling on everyone else to stand with them.

Inspired by the grim reality of how accusations of abuse are too often brushed aside by the justice system, “Least of All Her” pairs lyrically poignant content with a resonant, rock-forward intensity. The song’s laments on injustice are immediate — as Strand’s emotive vocals express being “hurt or scared or let alone pissed, that the charges got dismissed,” in reference to the high burden of evidence required to charge an abuser. The line “another day in a girl’s life, that might end before it begins” achingly captures how some futures are cut short by violence, reinforcing the ever-timely nature of the issue amidst a soaring, anthemic rock soundscape. Finalized by a resonating title-touting refrain, “Least of All Her” represents another thoughtful, sincere success from Mary Strand.

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This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.

We discovered this release via MusoSoup.

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