Bedroom pop has exploded into stardom for one New York City native, a fame that will only grow following his debut album.
The 20-year-old artist, Sombr, has steadily etched a space for his confident and dramatic sound in the pop genre. He released a stream of singles after dropping out of high school to pursue his dream music career, each one herding in more fans.
Currently, Sombr bags more than 55 million monthly listeners on Spotify.
I Barely Know Her was released on Friday 22 August. The debut album boasts 10 tracks, all crossing the three-minute mark, as Sombr broods about an ex he cannot move on from.
Previous viral hits, Undressed and Back to Friends, feature on this album alongside new tracks which pack just as hard of an emotional punch. Sombr uses his slightly distorted gritty vocals alongside dramatic instrumentals in his work, almost carving out a new beginning for the pop genre.
Although Sombr spends the duration of I Barely Know Her mourning an old relationship- “I’m living in the crevices of your heart” in Dime, and “I’ll never be satisfied ‘cause she’ll never be mine” in Under the Mat – none of the songs seem repetitive.
Canal Street has the longest run time of the album, coming in at more than five minutes long. It sways you gently alongside a feathery piano and soft guitar accompaniment as Sombr continues to profess his heartbreak before gaining traction to an addictive chorus.
His choice of instruments calls a mixture of big indie-pop names to mind, including hints of Arctic Monkeys and Catfish and the Bottlemen, and his similarly raw vocals show an outstanding display of confidence. The young artist co-produced this album alongside Tony Berg (who has also worked with Phoebe Bridgers) to create a refreshing revival of pop music.
To celebrate his debut album, Sombr is setting off on a world tour, which begins on September 21 in the USA. For UK fans, you can catch the pop star towards the end of his tour, with dates across England and Scotland set for March next year before he ends his tour in Dublin, Ireland.
If you haven’t listened to, I Barely Know Her, you can find the album here. Or, if you are interested in more of Sombr’s work, click here to view his Spotify.
I Barely Know Her is a solid debut album in which Sombr solidifies his confident style and opens his future to even bigger hits.
Featured Image Credit: Warner Records
Fourth year student journalist studying Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Journalism Studies.
Words at Brig, The Daily Evergreen, Alloa Advertiser, Discovery Music Scotland, and The Mourning Paper.
