Shamir appeared on the radar of most music fans with his stylish 2015 debut album,
Ratchet, an engaging, if misleading, introduction to his work. Its neon blend of '90s house, pop, and R&B spawned earworms like "On the Regular" and won critical acclaim. However, when he returned with 2017's
Hope, it was a more accurate reflection of the kind of music he'd made as a kid growing up in Las Vegas' Northtown area. Hitting the reset button on his career was a brave move, but on his second album, it also feels like a necessary one. On every song, the pressure of trying to fit into a preconceived mold -- and the relief of not doing that anymore -- are palpable. Hearing the sounds
Shamir puts together on these songs, it's no wonder he felt constrained.
Hope's mix of grunge, indie, and folk couldn't be more different than his debut, and its raw production and imperfections express his state of mind perfectly. Sometimes, its lo-fi sonics add a demo-like intimacy and spontaneity: a buzzing amp anchors the title track, giving its lanky guitar extra grit. "Tom Kelly" fades out suddenly, putting an abrupt end to its harmony-laden indie pop. Elsewhere,
Shamir uses
Hope's murk and noise like a shield, as on "One More Time Won't Kill You" and the country-punk rant "I Fucking Hate You." His soaring falsetto is the most recognizable link between
Ratchet and
Hope, and the way he sings "Rock bottom/It's a new start/While taking shots in the dark" on "What Else" makes it one of the finest songs in his body of work. On the album's other highlights, such as the simple, affecting "Bleed It Out" and the shape-shifting jazz-rock of "Easier," his performances are so immediate, it feels like listeners are witnessing him work through his emotions in real time. A pivotal album in
Shamir's career,
Hope sounds more personal and more effortless than his debut. Though he soon ventured even further afield with records like Be the Yee, Here Comes the Haw, this is where he took the first steps toward where he wanted and needed to be as an artist. [
Kill Rock Stars reissued
Hope in 2023, adding a pair of bonus tracks ("Breathe" and "Camouflage") that expand on the album's revealing, healing mood.] ~ Heather Phares
