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“Cedar Street” is the focus of Stella Witz’s EP, “a year ago, tomorrow”, a self-written and self-released indie project out on November 6th.

Made with a pedalsteel guitar, layering harmonies, drums, bass, even a salt shaker, her sound is great for fans of Lizzy McAlpine, Adrianne Lenker, and Phoebe Bridgers.

The song starts with a lone guitar strumming, immediately setting the melancholy tone as Stella’s vocals join in, blending seamlessly.

It’s dark on Cedar Street, half past midnight
A stray cat climbs carefully up the traffic light
It’s quiet and it’s pretty in a peaceful sort of way
But it’s tinted with the hint of you the day after you passed away

Beginning to explore life after grief, there’s no dramatic declaration of heartbreak, but rather it’s communicated through the stray cat, flowers in the yard and the color of the ocean.

Baby’s breath and lavender still cover the yard
I walk the path you’d always walk after a day that was hard
The ocean has always been my favorite shade of blue
But it’s tinted with the hint of you after we gave you to the waves
The ending of the song is just as important, as it doesn’t offer a neat resolution. A year has passed, the cat is gone, and the street has become familiar again. But the narrator is still walking the same path.

The stray cat has come and gone, her path washed out by time
It’s quiet and it’s peaceful in a pretty familiar way
Tinted with the hint of you a year after you passed away
I walk the path you’d always walk after a day that was hard

This song to me feels like learning to live in a world that still reminds you of someone who is no longer there. It’s not necessarily about getting over grief, but about recognizing that someone can remain part of your everyday life through shared places, common routines, and memories they left behind.

Stella’s angelic voice was like a calming lullaby, and this song could’ve fooled me for one on the Billboard 100 list. She’s at the start of something beautiful.