Jessye DeSilva embraces the miracle of trans self-creation on her new album, Glitter Up the Dark. Teaming up with Aaron Lee Tasjan in the producer’s chair, DeSilva continues her streak of soulful country that cuts to the bone while infusing the listener with hope and resilience. DeSilva has a peculiar gift for songs that are wrenchingly vulnerable yet comforting, and Tasjan’s mastery of infectious pop grooves gives Glitter Up the Dark a timeless feel in an age of mounting repression.
This is the first album DeSilva has recorded as a woman, and her euphoria fills the album. The opening track, “The Real” is something of a disco gospel revelation, with LaFemmeBear providing soaring backing vocals in this celebration of the real Americans on the outskirts of society. Similarly, “The Fringe” joyfully rejects normative expectations of family, gender, and love.
