I feel like a student turning in a paper way past the due date and crossing my fingers that the professor won't flunk me. Linnea's Garden released Mirrors six weeks ago, and I'm just now turning my attention to yet another remarkable release from one of the best bands in the entire indie rock universe. Guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter extraordinaire Linnea Herzog is back with a new rhythm section comprised of Hands on bass and Super Tough Ray Clough on drums. The beauty of a Linnea's Garden release is that you're never just getting "more of the same." The trio's musical style is constantly evolving — broadly blending glam, punk, and dance music but always incorporating new ideas and influences. The common thread holding all the band's releases together is Linnea's lyrical style. Few songwriters can surpass Linnea's flair for writing lyrics that are deeply personal yet universally relatable — not to mention clever, honest, and ultimately hopeful. It took me a few spins to get a proper feel for Mirrors, and that's a good thing. This EP is a perfect combination of the pop-focused songwriting of 2021's Nowhere Friday Nights EP and the glittering modern rock of last year's long player Fashion Show. Opening track "Pathological Liar" is pop-punk leaning indie rock or perhaps the reverse of that. It reflects on how our perspectives on past relationships change as we grow up and learn to take accountability for our actions. This song really captures the essence of why Linnea is such a great songwriter. It tells a true story that we can all relate to our own stories. How many of us heard that line "I was full of shit when I was 26" and screamed, "YES!"? "Big Mirrors" brings a harder rock sound (think '70s meets '90s) and leaves us with another knockout line in "What did you expect to happen when you went and listened to your heart?" I would do Linnea a disservice by singling out a quote from the dance jam "DB3" since the entire song is like a master thesis in lyrical brilliance. Suffice it to say that the song is at once profound (reflecting on the importance of celebrating our past, present, and future selves) and sexy as hell. "Comeback" feels like a happy ending to the band's pandemic classic "Friday Night." It captures the excitement of being out in the clubs and experiencing in full the joy of life and music (which honestly can never be separated).
How does one summarize Mirrors as a work of musical art? Well, it rocks, and you can dance to it. Better yet, it feels like a celebration of personal growth and living our best lives. I may be arriving late to the party on this EP, but what a party it is!
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