GENRE: Experimental
LABEL: Warp
REVIEWED: 12 October, 2025
RATING: 7.7/10
Kelly Moran’s Don’t Trust Mirrors is a mesmerizing journey into experimental sound, blending prepared piano with electronic textures to create a deeply immersive listening experience. Released in 2025, the album represents a significant evolution in Moran’s artistry, reflecting both her personal growth and innovative approach to composition.
The album traces its origins back to 2019 when Moran sought to bring a more rhythmic, almost danceable energy to her prepared piano pieces. However, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic shifted her creative direction. Isolated in her mother’s home, she adapted earlier compositions for the Disklavier, a modern player piano, resulting in her previous album Moves in the Field. Revisiting these pieces for her original setup eventually led to Don’t Trust Mirrors, creating a cyclical interplay between the two works that showcases Moran’s evolving musical vision.
Musically, the album opens with “Echo in the Field,” a track that layers repeating synth patterns over buzzing bass chords and delicate prepared piano melodies. This sets the tone for the rest of the album, which moves fluidly between spacious, ringing harmonics and intricate textures. Tracks such as “Prism Drift” and “Sans Sodalis” expand into immersive soundscapes that captivate the listener, while reinterpretations of earlier compositions, like “Systems” and “Cathedral,” reveal new emotional depth and subtle complexity. Moran’s combination of experimental piano techniques and electronic elements gives the album a sense of both intimacy and expansiveness, drawing the listener into her reflective sonic world.
Critics have praised Don’t Trust Mirrors for its innovative approach and emotional resonance. Pitchfork gave it a 7.6, emphasizing how it complements Moves in the Field and provides a fuller understanding of Moran’s artistic journey. Treble described it as a stunning achievement, balancing intellectual rigor with aesthetic beauty, and Clash highlighted its engrossing ideas and assured execution.
Overall, Don’t Trust Mirrors stands as a testament to Kelly Moran’s artistic resilience and ingenuity. Through its intricate compositions, reinterpretations, and evocative textures, the album invites listeners into a contemplative and transformative musical experience, solidifying Moran’s position as one of contemporary experimental music’s most compelling voices.
