Leyla McCalla's album explores Haitian history and culture through music that draws on the country's rich musical traditions while addressing its complex present. McCalla, a cellist and vocalist who has performed with the Carolina Chocolate Drops and as a solo artist, brings her background in classical music and traditional folk forms to songs that range from lullabies to political anthems. The album's title refers to the Haitian proverb about dealing with problems by breaking the instrument that measures them, a metaphor for denial that McCalla applies to both Haitian governance and American treatment of Haitian immigrants. McCalla sings in Haitian Creole, French, and English, moving between languages as her subjects require. The album addresses the 1915 American occupation of Haiti, contemporary deportation policies, and the everyday lives of Haitians in their homeland and diaspora. McCalla collaborated with Haitian musicians and drew on field recordings to create a soundscape rooted in Haitian tradition while speaking to contemporary concerns. The album represents both personal exploration of McCalla's heritage and political intervention in how Haiti is understood and represented.