Laura Molloy reviews sombr’s debut album I Barely Know Her and discusses his success to date.
On August 22, New York born artist sombr released his debut album I Barely Know Her. The album comes after the twenty year old singer rose to fame from his single ‘back to friends’ which was released on December 27 2024.
There has been much anticipation for the arrival of the album. Many of the songs were teased months in advance by sombr on his TikTok account including ‘i wish i knew how to quit you’ which was featured on the setlist of his tour (‘late nights & young romance’) before its release.
The album features ten songs, four of which were already released; ‘back to friends’, ‘undressed’, ‘we never dated’, and ‘12 to 12’. ‘12 to 12’ was released a few weeks before the album announcement and played a big role in sombr’s recognition. The music video featured singer Addison Rae which led to speculation of romance between the two. Sombr has denied these rumours.
Regardless, the single was instrumental in building excitement around the possibility of an album.
Sombr has said the album is inspired by women. Each song touches on longing, confusion, and the feelings of intertwinement romantic connection gives us, regardless if the feelings are returned or not.
The opening track “crushing” reflects on the painful experience of missing how a relationship or connection was at the beginning. It describes the disorientating feelings of how the person who once made you feel the happiest is now putting you in emotional pain.
Other tracks echo this theme but take a different approach. The lyrics focus more on the challenges of moving on from someone you cared deeply about. ‘undressed’ uses the metaphor of undressing for a person to capture the fear of vulnerability that comes with heartbreak. The lyrics remind us that even though love will find you again, you may not be ready to receive it.
In ‘canal street’, sombr sings, “And I try to go on dates, but none of them are you,” describing one of the many issues in modern dating. Comparison is the thief of joy, and ‘canal street’ explains how. Sombr’s lyrics depict the grim but realistic image of trying to forget about someone special. You can go on dates with the most attractive people, but looks don’t replace love.
Some of the later tracks are songs that even the most devoted fans would be unfamiliar with as they were kept well under wraps until the release. My personal favourite from the album is track number eight - ‘come closer’, which touches on the conflicting feelings of an in-between connection.
“Come closer or stay away,” is the reoccurring lyric in the chorus. The lyric depicts the intense push-pull dynamic romantic connections are charged with. The song describes the feeling of being torn between wanting to accept shreds of attention from the person, but also wanting to avoid them to prevent the heartache.
Sombr’s album is the perfect blend of pining for something you can’t have, and accepting that not all connections last; a position where students are likely to find themselves at least once.