Macie Stewart’s debut album, Mouth Full of Glass, is a journey of self-discovery and self-reflection. The eight songs explore the complexities of being alone, while also celebrating the growth and beauty that come from solitude. Stewart is a Chicago-based singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist who began her musical journey at the young age of three. She learned to play the piano and violin while also learning to communicate through music.
As a go-to collaborator in Chicago’s avant-garde jazz scene, Stewart’s musical communication skills are impeccable. She co-founded the band OHMME and has worked as a string arranger for various artists, including SZA and Whitney. But despite years of collaborating with others, Stewart realized she had lost sight of who she was as an individual. She wrote Mouth Full of Glass as a means to reconnect with herself.
The album’s opening track, “Finally,” showcases Stewart’s effortless composition and arrangement skills, with intricate layers of strings and synthesizers cascading over her bright acoustic flourishes. The following track, “Garter Snake,” features Sen Morimoto’s saxophone and Stewart’s lofty vocals reflecting on self-imposed solitude. The title track, “Mouthful of Glass,” draws out long syllables of dulcet vocal harmonies over swirls of keyboards and strings, while the final track, “Wash It Away,” encourages listeners to clear the slate and start anew.
Through her music, Stewart reminds us that life is a perpetual journey of self-discovery. It’s about embracing the less favorable parts of ourselves in order to shed them and find our most authentic selves. Mouth Full of Glass is a reminder to honor who we once were, who we are, and who we could be.
