My Echo
A pink and magenta monochromatic photo of Veirs seated
Studio album by
Laura Veirs
ReleasedOctober 23, 2020 (2020-10-23)
RecordedTucker Martine's home studio, Portland, Oregon, U.S.[1]
Length33:54
Label
ProducerTucker Martine
Laura Veirs chronology
The Lookout
(2018)		 My Echo
(2020)		 Found Light
(2022)

My Echo is the eleventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Laura Veirs, released on October 23, 2020 by Raven Marching Band.[2] The album received a positive reception from music critics.

Recording and release

On Valentine's Day 2020, Veirs released the song "I Was a Fool";[3] the song discusses her divorce as do the tracks on My Echo. Veirs calls My Echo "an album about disintegration".[4] The album was produced with longtime collaborator and Veirs' ex-husband Tucker Martine and was preceded by music videos for "Burn Too Bright" in July[5] and "Turquoise Walls" in August.[2]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Album of the Year80 out of 100[6]
AnyDecentMusic?7.4 out of 10[7]
Metacritic84 out of 100[8]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[9]
Exclaim!8 out of 10[10]
Financial Times[11]
musicOMH[12]
Paste7.7 out of 10[13]
Slant Magazine[14]

According to the review aggregator Metacritic, My Echo received "universal acclaim" based on a weighted average score of 84 out of 100 from eight critic scores.[8] Album of the Year sums up critical consensus as an 80 out of 100 based on five reviews[6] and AnyDecentMusic? considers My Echo a 7.4 out of 10, also based on five reviewers.[7]

Sara Chodos of Exclaim! gave the release an eight out of 10, praising the diversity of musicianship and instrumentation.[10] In New Statesman, Ellen Perison-Hagger declared Veirs "one of the greatest living American songwriters" for her ability to use music as catharsis.[15] Maeri Ferguson of No Depression's review emphasized the solitude in the album's lyrics and the Veirs' "stunningly spare" vocals, especially paired with Jim James.[16] In a 7.7 out of 10 review for Paste, Ben Salmon points out Veirs' comforting confronting the unknown in her lyrics as her personal relationship was deteriorating during recording.[13] Steve Horowitz of PopMatters discusses this disintegration and the "claustrophobic themes of confinement" in his review, ending it: "Love can't conquer all. Some disasters are just too big, and we end up singing to ourselves. That's why there is music."[17] Eric Mason of Slant Magazine considers the recording "an act of self-preservation" in a "backdrop of hopelessness brought about by personal heartbreak and global disasters".[14] In Financial Times, David Chesal gave My Echo four out of five stars for "a break-up album [that is] remarkably easy to listen to".[11] Ben Hogwood of musicOMH gave My Echo the same rating, noting the highly skilled musicians and summing up that this album is "sometimes difficult but never less than involving".[12]

Samantha Small of Under the Radar reviewed "Burn Too Bright" upon its release, naming it one of the songs of the week.[18] Concluding the review for AllMusic, Mark Deming claimed that "My Echo creates beauty out of fear and uncertainty, and it's among Laura Veirs' most personal and satisfying works to date."[9]

Track listing

  1. "Freedom Feeling" – 3:19
  2. "Another Space and Time" – 4:40
  3. "Turquoise Walls" – 2:39
  4. "Memaloose Island" – 3:34
  5. "End Times" – 3:06
  6. "Burn Too Bright" – 2:59
  7. "Brick Layer" – 2:30
  8. "All the Things" – 3:27
  9. "I Sing to the Tall Man" – 3:09
  10. "Vapor Trails" – 4:31

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the My Echo liner notes.[19]

  • Laura Veirs – vocals; electric guitar on "Freedom Feeling"; nylon guitar on "Another Space and Time", "Burn Too Bright", "Brick Layer", "All the Things", and "I Sing to the Tall Man"; banjo on "Turquoise Walls", Nashville guitar on "Turquoise Walls", acoustic guitar on "Memaloose Island" and "Vapor Trails", piano on "End Times", keyboards on "I Sing to the Tall Man"
  • Karl Blau – vocals on "Another Space and Time" and "Brick Layer"; bass guitar on "Freedom Feeling", "Another Space and Time", "Turquoise Walls", 10), saxophone on "Another Space and Time"; snaps on "Another Space and Time"; baritone guitar on "Turquoise Walls"; synthesizer on "Turquoise Walls"; electric guitar on "Burn Too Bright"; Moog synth on "Burn Too Bright", feedback on "Brick Layer"
  • Justin Chase – piano on "Another Space and Time"; baritone guitar on "Another Space and Time" and "Memaloose Island"; synthesizer on "Another Space and Time", "Memaloose Island", and "End Times"; e-bow guitar on "Memaloose Island"; electric guitar "Burn Too Bright"; Moog synth pads on "Brick Layer"; engineering
  • Bill Frisell – electric guitar on "All the Things"
  • Jim James – vocals "All the Things"
  • Tucker Martine – drums on "Freedom Feeling", "Turquoise Walls", "Memaloose Island", and "Burn Too Bright"; percussion on "Another Space and Time"; engineering; mixing on "Freedom Feeling", "Another Space and Time", "Turquoise Walls", and "Memaloose Island"; production
  • Adrian Olsen – mixing on "End Times", "Burn Too Bright", "Brick Layer", "All the Things", "I Sing to the Tall Man", and "Vapor Trails
  • Noel Summerville – mastering
  • Matt Ward – electric guitar on "Vapor Trails"

References

  1. ↑ Snapes, Laura (September 17, 2020). "Laura Veirs on Surviving Her Divorce: 'My Life Is Strangely Awesome'". The Guardian. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  2. 1 2 "23 New Songs Out Today". BrooklynVegan. July 30, 2020. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  3. ↑ Vorel, Jim (February 13, 2020). "Laura Veirs Releases Heartbreaking Anti-Valentine's Tune, 'I Was a Fool'". Paste. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  4. ↑ Taylor, Katherine Yeske (October 22, 2020). "Laura Veirs Shares Her Anxiety About The Vulnerability On My Echo". American Songwriter. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  5. ↑ Bloom, Madison (July 30, 2020). "Laura Veirs Announces New Album, Shares New Song 'Burn Too Bright'". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  6. 1 2 "Laura Veirs – My Echo". Album of the Year. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  7. 1 2 "My Echo by Laura Veirs". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  8. 1 2 "My Echo by Laura Veirs". Metacritic. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  9. 1 2 Deming, Mark (October 23, 2020). "My Echo - Laura Veirs | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved December 26, 2020.
  10. 1 2 Chodos, Sarah (October 21, 2020). "Laura Veirs' My Echo Is a Snapshot of a Divorce in Real-Time". Exclaim!. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  11. 1 2 Cheal, David (October 23, 2020). "Laura Veirs: My Echo—from High Drama to the Ephemeral". Financial Times. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  12. 1 2 Hogwood, Ben (October 26, 2020). "Laura Veirs – My Echo". musicOMH. Retrieved October 27, 2020.
  13. 1 2 Salmon, Ben (October 22, 2020). "Laura Veirs Embraces the Unknown on My Echo". Paste. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  14. 1 2 Mason, Eric (October 14, 2020). "Laura Veirs's My Echo Is a Divorce Album That Trades Misery for Escapism". Slant Magazine. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  15. ↑ Perison-Hagger, Ellen (October 21, 2020). "Laura Veirs' My Echo: Poignant, Cathartic Indie-Folk". New Statesman. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  16. ↑ Ferguson, Maeri (October 21, 2020). "Laura Veirs Taps into Solitude on My Echo". No Depression. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  17. ↑ Horowitz, Steve. "Laura Veirs Talks to Herself on My Echo". PopMatters. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  18. ↑ Small, Samantha (July 31, 2020). "10 Best Songs of the Week: Loma, Everything Everything, Angel Olsen, Madeline Kenney, and More". Under the Radar. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  19. ↑ My Echo (CD booklet). Laura Veirs. Raven Marching Band. 2020.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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