Erin McKeown – Mirrors Break Back/According to Us (2017)

The darker themes and sharper-edged R&B sound of MIRRORS BREAK BACK are no accident. These 6 songs were conceived as a meditation on self-hate and a direct response to McKeown’s 2016 ode to self-confidence and identity, ACCORDING TO US. Synths, programmed beats, and multi-tracked doo-wop background vocals add new shades of expression for McKeown as she wrestles with her worst impulses and negative thoughts. “I have been thinking a lot about the power of self-definition – the ability to decide who we want to be and then live out those choices. There is an enormous amount of liberation in finding the confidence to be who you are – whether that refers to fashion, gender, sexuality, politics, spirituality, whatever expression you choose. I tried to organize these songs around that idea, honesty and celebration. This is who we are, according to us.” And thus it was written and ever shall be in McKeown’s signature style. The 6 songs of ACCORDING TO US use the intimate and personal expressions of gospel, jazz and hip-hop to spread the word.