Sombr, Rolling Stone Top 100 Recs
Sombr - I Barely Know Her #100
Crushing - 7/10
12 to 12 - 8.5/10
Back to Friends - 6/10
Undressed - 7/10
Goosebumps Meter: 5/10
There’s no doubt that this is a very sonically consistent album. Sombr has a clear sense of direction for the world he’s building for his listeners. While the impact and quality of the album don’t linger with me beyond the songs listed above, I remain impressed with an album that feels very smartly packaged and presented.
A record built on the back of exciting bass lines and nostalgic synths, it felt like a new-age Arctic Monkeys to me. These songs are catchy—credit where credit is due—and Sombr has a knack for making it easy to hum along really quickly. There are a lot of tracks where the background vocals are as atmospheric as they are guiding you to sing along. I felt this especially with Crushing, where every element of the song feels perfectly in the pocket.
Truth be told, 12 to 12 remains my favorite song from this album. It builds anticipation and oozes a groove that I can’t help but nod along to. A couple shots of tequila and I’d probably dance along (drink responsibly). I’d love to be a fancy reviewer and have lots of eloquent things to say as to why it’s my favorite song, but truly, it just makes me want to dance. None of the other songs did, and I’ll leave it at that.
The hit is a hit for a reason. I get it. Back to Friends is nostalgic in all the right ways. It really is the yearning of this album encapsulated in a single song. Unsurprisingly, it’s also the song I’m certain people will relate to the most. Everyone probably has a similar enough story and sees themselves in the lyrics. There’s nothing truly tragic about the words themselves, but the simplicity of the melody and the repetition really does speak for itself.
Dare I say the record is Byronic? There is so much yearning. Not to say that’s a bad thing, as it’s definitely the red thread that runs through the songs. I think this is really accentuated by the consistency in how the vocals were processed. I stay in a specific emotional state of mind purely because of the tone of his voice. There’s something almost fleeting about it—like I know this is happening in the present. It also led me to enjoy just how much I felt I got to know Sombr through the music alone. I don’t relate to every moment, but I don’t mind; I feel like I’m in a chat with a friend, so to speak.
I do wish I loved more of the songs on this record, but perhaps I’m just not at the place in life where these songs need me to be to connect with them more. Either way, I leave impressed and aware of a brand-new 6’6” talent.
