Pom Pom Squad Smash Through the Looking Glass

“It seems downhill from here,” Mia Berrin jokes at the top Pom Pom Squadhis second album, The mirror starts moving without me. It’s a fitting opening for a project steeped in hell Alice in Wonderland images and is named after the awesome horror movie where a character’s reflection is out of sync. On Mirror, Berrin, the band’s lead singer and songwriter, leans on this darker tone of the Lewis Carroll classic while illustrating an overblown identity crisis.

The singer first explored this theme in Pom Pom Squad’s bold 2021 debut, Death of a cheerleaderin which she examined how each part of her identity as a mixed queer woman fits into the world of indie rock and the world at large. Death of a cheerleader The reference-laden tracklist (and title) not only subverted notions of femininity, but also enhanced the Brooklyn band’s grunge sound from their 2019 EP. Alas in full-blown punk songs that evoked Bikini Kill. The LP and its critical success helped Pom Pom Squad cement their place as indie darlings, a status they had already earned with the high energy of their live shows.

In Mirror in the opener “Downhill,” Berrin makes a bold promise that he’ll “come back from the dead.” As the singer crashes through the figurative mirror and explores all versions of herself, she realizes that the process of reinvention is exhausting. On Death of a cheerleaderBerrin asked “Is there any way to kill the girl I wish I were” but further From the mirror “Spinned,” she “weeps for the girl (she) could have been” instead. It’s a haunting achievement that leaves specters scattered throughout the album.

Meanwhile, tracks like “Running from Myself” and “Everybody’s Moving On” describe the experience of getting over the monstrous parts of yourself that would be better left behind. Nowhere is Berrin’s loss of self more powerful than on ‘The Tower’, where he ruefully admits “I’ve lost my magic” and compares the process to “a sword to the heart”. By the end of the record, Berrin is still floundering in the wonderland-turned-hell of her own creation, but the possibility of reconnecting with the truest parts of herself finally feels within reach.

While Berrin still struggles conceptually with her identity Mirrorit also conveys new facets of it amid interesting sonic transformations that feel distinct from Death of a cheerleader. With the help of songwriter Cody Fitzgerald, Berrin took on a bigger production role and added more pop shape to Pom Pom Squad’s electric, multi-dimensional charge. From the video game-inspired ad-libs and effects of “Street Fighter” to the glassy synths of “Spinning” and the beating heart at the breathless center of “Villain,” the choices feel purposeful and intuitive. Growling hooks and strumming guitars still anchor these songs and they feel more soulful than ever. The contrast is best summed up by Berrin herself in “Street Fighter” when she sings “I make pretty girl rock.”

Pom Pom Squad needs a few moments to breathe in the record’s sadness space as well. On the devastating lullaby “Montauk” and the aching mantra of “Doll Song,” Berrin’s heartbreak and intense self-reflection are laid bare over the gently tight melodies. The songs are edgier than the slower tunes from the band’s debut, but still prove that Pom Pom Squad are at their best when they’re out swinging.