On After the Sting of It, Kelly McMichael performs a wild yet precise balancing act in a constant process of redefinition, offering shifting perspectives emotionally and skipping genres musically. Recorded in McMichael’s adopted home of St. John’s with singer-songwriter Jake Nicoll, After the Sting of It is music that sits in the comfort of its core ideas while being utterly unafraid to try new things—the follow-up to 2021’s award-winning Waves builds on its classic-rock core and expands into synths, drum machines, and vocal layers. 

Deploying art-rock production flair that belies its humble processes, McMichael weaves unexpected sounds around her poignant, incisive words for a self-contained journey through the psyche (and psychedelia).