Known for her striking lyrics, Tamara Stewart is one of the most honest storytellers in modern Australian country. Her 2023 ballad “Mean Girl” directly addresses gaslighting and other emotional bullying, while still making room for evocative wordplay like “laughing on the ledge at the edge of the world.” Raised in Mooroopna in rural Victoria, Stewart has been based in Nashville since 2015 but hasn’t lost the gift for piercing insights that’s been apparent since her 2001 debut The Way the World Is. Complete with warm, sturdy backing, 2019’s “Haunted House” sees Stewart muse on a recent ex moving on with someone new, occupying the same rooms that once meant so much to her. These may be familiar sentiments, but Stewart always comes in at just the right angle to see something new in a situation and wring out an unexpected moment of raw emotion.