My Echo

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]

More information Aggregate scores, Source ...

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Album of the Year	80 out of 100[6]
AnyDecentMusic?	7.4 out of 10[7]
Metacritic	84 out of 100[8]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[9]
Exclaim!	8 out of 10[10]
Financial Times	[11]
MusicOMH	[12]
Paste	7.7 out of 10[13]
Slant Magazine	[14]

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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]

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

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"