Label: City Slang Records
By Catalina Perez
Pom Pom Squad tumble into Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland in ‘Mirror Starts Moving Without Me.’ The Brooklyn based group, fronted by Mia Berrin, have returned three years after the 2021 release of their coming-of-age debut ‘Death of a Cheerleader.’
The latest half pop/half alt sophomore triumph offers a different aural selection than the smorgasbord of genres from their breakout album. Fit for the mystical end of October, Berrin’s self-reflective looking glass reveals an innermost sincerity coupled with ominous twists and melancholic trenches for an unmatched voyage.
Catchy pop-anthem ‘Downhill‘ sets the album in motion with mellifluous vocals and accompanying dampened guitar strums before passing the torch to a synchronized staccato synthesizer/lead singer duet. Its disco-soaked instrumentals juxtapose the macabre sprinkled lyrics, “Look at the blood on my hands / Feels like I’m losing control” and “I’m coming back from the dead.”
Decorated with glistening piano arpeggios and a faint heartbeat, second track ‘Spinning‘ brings listeners to a soft electronic lagoon with a punk-dipped chorus and gallons of heartache. “She haunts me like a melody / Didn’t know that it could hurt this bad / Never thought that I would feel like that,” wails the songstress.
“If they ain’t paying your bills, pay them bitches no mind,” quips the 27-year-old’s mother in the upbeat, standout track ‘Street Fighter.’ Equipped with quick-witted lyrics and references, the energy-charged tune immerses you in an indie rock-tinted video game world with a bit of bite.
Encapsulating the main message of the album, ‘Everybody’s Moving On‘ entails the struggle of a stagnant and blurry self-image despite others around you evolving and changing. The Orlando-native serenades, “Feels like everybody’s moving on without me / I’m still the same / Isn’t it strange” and “As I’m watching myself watching myself watch me.”
The anthology takes a bit of a wicked turn with a Billie Eilish ‘Bury Your Friend‘-esque aura in ‘Villain.’ A subdued percussion passage and droning electronic melody open the track before hushed and foreboding vocals take the spotlight. Breaths, gasps, and distorted guitar riffs intertwine with murderous lyrics making for a poisonous track with a Mia Goth “Pearl” feel.
A spoken interlude and piano accompaniment about the tarot tower card sets the mood, introducing the final track of the album, ‘The Tower,’ which explores the struggle of proving yourself. Switching between piano ballad and punk rock sections, the track finishes, coming full circle to the idea of falling as delivered in opening track ‘Downhill.’
Pom Pom Squad’s latest release ‘Mirror Starts Moving Without Me‘ tells the tale of a distraught yet resilient Mia Berrin who’s simply trying to grasp onto a solidified self-image. She travels far and wide through solemn waters such as ‘Running From Myself‘ and ‘Everybody’s Moving On‘ to empowering peaks such as ‘Doll Song‘ and ‘Street Fighter‘ to reach ‘The Tower,’ ultimately coming to terms with her fate.
Its clever lyricism, coiled around its imaginative yet empathetic themes, makes for a relatable experience and will leave you wanting to linger in Wonderland.
Listen to ‘Mirror Starts Moving Without Me’ here: