You may know Sombr, or Shane Boose, from his MTV Music Awards win for Best Alternative Video for his song “Back to Friends”. Or, even more likely, you know him from his performance at these awards where he yelled out choice lyrics to his song “12 to 12” rather than sing them and a performer licked him. Either way, Sombr has made his way onto your playlists and social media doom scrolls through his lyrics, persona, and originality. His new album, “I Barely Know Her”, is a passionate blend of authentic sound, lyrics, and raw emotion that is a must listen. 

Throughout the album, there is a consistent flow of songs that find the perfect compromise between soul crushing melodies and crash out worthy instrumentation. In the bridge of his hit song, “Come Closer”, he states: “Loving you isn’t hard, it’s letting you go that leaves a scar.” With these lyrics, you would expect a slow guitar melody, maybe some violin, or gentle back up vocals. In reality, you are flooded with a strong bass and drum presence; much like what you would expect from an alternative rock band. With the combination of heartfelt lyrics for a lost love and alternative instrumentation, you can’t help but feel his pain and the urge to belt out along with him. The songs in this album are not separate entities meant to be listened to alone; each song flows together in both mood and lyrics. When it comes to sound, each track has a similar tempo and use of instruments. There is a bridge in each song, found in different points of the melody, where he is able to add contrast to the flow of the track and add another layer of story to his overarching ideas of a lost love. This authentic mix of lyric and sound can be traced back to his musical roots. Sombr has never released an album before, but his hit EP’s have all fallen under the indie genre where his tempos were slow, acoustically based, and more what you would expect with the topics he sings on. In these early releases, you can find how meaningful lyrics have always been present in Sombr’s music. His first hit, “Caroline”, follows a completely different tempo than his new music, but the lyrics are poetic and take center focus. In the album, “I Barely Know Her”, the lyrics still demand attention but the sound demands your focus as well. Sombr has stated how this change comes from him trying to be more authentically himself and follow his personal musical interests. Influences he has referenced during interviews include Radiohead, Jeff Buckley, and Phoebe Bridgers, and when blended together, you get the unique Sombr experience offered to his listeners. What makes his sound even more special is that he writes his own music and co-produces it. In this way, each song is a guaranteed look into Sombr’s mind and makes his album all the more authentic. While his sound is not completely new, he offers a distinct blend of fresh and familiar all at once. 

With the crash out, scream the lyrics, and heart-breaking melodies listeners have come to enjoy from Sombr, his persona off stage is a complete 360. He presents himself as what fans lovingly call a “pop star diva”, where he is continually cracking jokes, overflowing with confidence, and continually being his authentic self. In interviews and when fans spot him on the streets of his home city, New York, he is continually funny and relatable, often seeking opportunities to be with his fans and get to know them. While performing, he matches his music to a tee in how he acts by collapsing, yelling, and ultimately, just crashing out. These opposing personas helped him build his rise to fame, especially online. Sombr first gained popularity with songs from this album through social media. After “Back to Friends”, “Undressed”, and later, “12 to 12” shot up the charts, it became common to hear his songs in reels on everyone’s For You page. With this increasing popularity, Sombr’s online presence grew too. His followers have come to expect videos of both on stage passion and on-the-street humor. This made him relatable, and his videos really connect with his listeners. Music videos were once all the hype an artist would need through channels like MTV, gaining popularity now means having relatable, funny, and otherwise enjoyable content on Tik Tok and other social platforms. Listeners now crave raw emotion in their lyrics, served on an alternative pop hit plate, and Sombr not only met, but exceeded these demands.

So what makes Sombr’s new hit album “l Barely Know Her” so great? From the authentic lyrics, raw emotion, and powerful instrumentation there is much to choose from and, unfortunately, I can’t decide for you. So, if you are looking for an album to love from start to finish, you need to download “I Barely Know Her” now!