ALBUM REVIEW: Observations Shimmer on Mya Byrne’s ‘Rhinestone Tomboy’

In an interview published last year in The Advocate, Mya Byrne spoke about how coming out as trans has impacted her music: “When people come out, not only is it a political act, it’s also modeling for other people what they can be. So, for me, what really changed in my music was the fact that I was no longer searching for something I didn’t know. I started to become a more observational songwriter. It’s made me a better songwriter.”

The peace that’s felt when the search is over, when you finally understand yourself, permeates Byrne’s latest album, Rhinestone Tomboy. When Byrne looks at the world, it’s no longer a panic-induced blur but a vibrant place that’s full of opportunities. The easy strut of “Autumn Sun” brings to mind Byrne walking the streets of Brooklyn, or Oakland, or Tennessee (she splits her time among all three) on a beautiful autumn morning, breathing deeply and taking everything in. “Time to love what you have sown,” she sings. By the end of the album, on closing track “That’s What Lucky Means,” Byrne is grateful for everything, including simple pleasures like a hot cup of coffee. 

Produced by Aaron Lee Tasjan, Rhinestone Tomboy’s sound is unrestrained. If you had to stick a genre label on the record it would be Americana, but to borrow a line from her Bandcamp bio, Byrne “is a badass trans lady” and the way that she plays with and mixes sonic styles further reflects just how badass she is. “Come On” is a gritty track with a punkish edge, “Sweetheart of Mine” is a charming quick-tempo country song, and the sultry twang of “Please Call Me Darlin’” finds Byrne crooning like Shadowland-era k.d. lang.

Mya Byrne (photo by Niki Pretti)

Granted, Rhinestone Tomboy does not always happily sparkle. The album is a collection of songs written over many years that have included some tough times. “Smoke and Bones” was written during, and is about, the 2018 California wildfires and has a correspondingly sinister sound. “Curtains” recounts the dark, isolated days of pandemic lockdowns. Although much of Rhinestone Tomboy was written after Byrne became sober, on “Devil in My Ear,” another track with an ominous vibe, she meditates on temptation and sings, “Got a devil whispering in my ear / saying he’s the king of all I fear / and if I listen he’ll make it go away.”

Rhinestone Tomboy begins with the clearest expression of where Byrne is in her life, on “It Don’t Fade.” With a bounce to her step, she acknowledges all the lows that brought her to the present but basks in the light and is hopeful about the future. This is the sound of queer joy, and that doesn’t fade.

Mya Byrne’s Rhinestone Tomboy is out April 28 on Kill Rock Stars Nashville.