Pom Pom Squad – ‘Mirror Starts Moving Without Me’ album review: violently vulnerable pretty girl rock
THE SKINNY: Contrary to their name, Pom Pom Squad don’t make cheery music. Frontwoman Mia Berrin may occasionally sport a matching set and a pair of crimson pom poms, but her sonic leanings are much more akin to teenage angst than football field celebrations. Her words are often violently vulnerable, while her soundscapes match their intensity with grunge influences and unrelenting guitars.
Her latest release with Pom Pom Squad, Mirror Starts Moving Without Me, serves as yet another example of this, battling with growing pains through bruised language and blistering alt-rock instrumentation. Berrin’s lyrics often start out hurting herself and others as she ruminates on old memories or watches as the lives of those around her pass her by. “You got a bone to pick?” she asks on ‘Street Fighter’, “Come join the waitlist.”
At times, it can seem like the whole world is against Pom Pom Squad’s lead singer and lyricist, making the album ripe pickings for future coming-of-age music supervisors. But Berrin does allow for moments of relief, acceptance and growth on Mirror Starts Moving Without Me, too. She stands tall against toxic relationships, reclaiming control even if it incites loneliness, and contends with the cards life deals her in the best way she can.
Instrumentally, Mirror Starts Moving Without Me contains some true alternative rock gems, scuffing pop melodies with grunge leanings and polishing moments of noise with her pom poms. But the album also thrives when it lets go of that instrumental angst, when it leans further into strings or synths, enhancing Berrin’s more vulnerable admissions.
On Mirror Starts Moving Without Me, Pom Pom Squad build upon the distinctive style and sound they have previously set out for themselves, creating an album that celebrates angst and anger as well as gradual acceptance.
For fans of: Pretty girl rock.
A concluding comment from Heather Chandler: “Well, fuck me gently with a chainsaw.”
Mirror Starts Moving Without Me track by track
Release date: October 25th | Label: City Slang Records | Producer: Mia Berrin and Cody Fitzgerald
‘Downhill’: An attempt to find the difference between the feeling and the fear, delivered via intense imagery and polished grunge soundscapes. As she tumbles downhill, vocalist Mia Berrin flits between feelings of numbness, addiction to attention, and declarations of, “I’m coming back from the dead.” It’s self-assured and self-destructive all at once. [3/5]
‘Spinning’: Berrin allows that violent imagery to bleed into ‘Spinning’, which contends with memory and maturing over grunge distortion. “Nothing hurts like memory,” Berrin affirms, spinning out over the girl she could have been. The brief interludes dedicated to shimmering keys seem like an ode to that girl, a moment of tenderness amidst the noise and regret. [3.5/5]
‘Street Fighter’: Berrin leans into her cheerleader image on the punchy, playful ‘Street Fighter’ in a song that would fit perfectly into a teen movie soundtrack. Her vocals are all-American, teasing and daring, spelling out words while brandishing pom poms as weapons. “I win, I win, I win,” she affirms. [3.5/5]
‘Everybody’s Moving On’: Pom Pom Squad are clearly preoccupied with growing up on Mirror Starts Moving Without Me, returning to the topic on ‘Everybody’s Moving On’. In the softest song yet, Berrin reflects on her friends hitting life’s milestones while she watches on. “Feels like everybody’s moving on without me,” she laments over gentle twangs, “I’m still the same, isn’t it strange.” [4/5]
‘Villain’: Berrin returns to noisier, grungier territory on ‘Villain’, pairing sharp intakes of breath with blistering and brutal choruses, declaring herself a villain. Her murderous lyrics are bolstered by layers of distorted vocals, eerie interludes, and cutting guitars. [3/5]
‘Running From Myself’: Berrin projects her villainy inwards on ‘Running From Myself’, admitting that she’s terrified of herself. Pop-adjacent melodies are paired with blinking synths and indie rock guitars, while Berrin struggles to stay present and live with herself. After settling into some sense of calm with repeated vocalisations, the track suddenly comes to an abrupt end. [3.5/5]
‘Messages’: A quintessential alt-rock track, ‘Messages’ mixes dark but entrancing guitar twangs with down-trodden lyrics. “The universe keeps sending messages,” Berrin shrugs at the climax of the song, “living hurts so I do what she says.” She delivers a blistering scream, and the song plunges back into indie rock goodness. [3.5/5]
‘Montauk’: Berrin juxtaposes feelings of insecurity and love with dense descriptions of luxury on ‘Montauk’, lamenting the lack of stars in the sky but taking comfort while lying on her lover’s chest. Instrumentally, it’s one of the more subdued songs on the record, opting to accompany her vulnerable admissions with strings and synths rather than distorted strums. [4/5]
‘Doll Song’: Vulnerability and violence combine on ‘Doll Song’, which pairs tender, twirling strings with a melody borrowed from Julie Andrews. Her words are defiant, choosing to be alone rather than to change herself for a lover. “At least when I’m lonely, I know I’m the only one pulling my strings,” she ruminates. [4/5]
‘Tarot Interlude’: As Mirror Starts Moving Without Me approaches its conclusion, Pom Pom Squad make time for a short, cinematic interlude that pairs a fortune with uncanny instrumentation. [3/5]
‘The Tower’: Fortunes and fairytales find their place in album closer ‘The Tower’, which acts as the perfect blend of Berrin’s heavier and softer influences. A tender intro allows her introspective lyrics to shine, accompanied by distant synths before the song devolves into thundering, grungey goodness. [3.5/5]
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