Shamir — Homo Anxietatem — Album Review
Alternative | Rock | Pop | Singer — Songwriter
Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Music
I struggle to recall just how exactly I managed to stumble across Shamir, but I’m sure glad I did. Not only did I find the musical alias of Las-Vegas-based singer-songwriter Shamir Bailey unique for the vibrant and whimsical aesthetic that is brought forward musically, but also with Shamir’s own identity as a non-binary artist. While not really having any preferred pronouns, and being comfortable with male ones, Shamir’s music felt stands unconstrained by the norms of gender.
That was exactly the vibe I got with Shamir’s 2020 album, which was self-titled. Giving off a very raw and genuine feel throughout, that album served as a great introduction to Shamir for me, as the minimal musical framework allowed more of my attention to be on the artist himself.
My appreciation towards Shamir and his music only heightened with the release of his follow-up album, Heterosexuality in early 2022. At the time of its release, Shamir’s eighth studio album was my clear favourite of that year, and by the end of the year, still sat comfortably in place as my ninth favourite album of 2022 in full. If you wanted to check out my full list of my top albums of 2022, you can click here (though I wouldn’t agree with a fair few of the placements now).
But anyways, back to Shamir. Though I was definitely more than content with listening to Heterosexuality for a little while longer, Shamir’s approach was clearly to strike the iron while it was hot, with his ninth album release. The title of this brand new album? Homo Anxietatem.
Homo Anxietatem was teased by your typical cluster of teaser tracks. What each of them presented musically, did a very good job of setting the tone for the album to come, I felt. As Homo Anxiatatem in full ultimately fulfilled, the vibe for this new album this time around was one that was much more chilled and stylistically consistent than the versatility and vibrance of Heterosexuality.
The vibe in question not only sets things back to being more akin to Shamir’s self-titled project, but it also carries with it a very nostalgic and warm feel that felt perfect for the spring-summer era of 2023 (it’s just a shame that we’re well past that point now here in the UK).
In short, while the nostalgia factor and the overall wholesomeness of this record is certainly deserving of praise, I still wind up being more fixated on the versatility of the album that came before.
Though it goes without mention, that Homo Anxiatatem feels like the best representation of Shamir giving us a consistent mood throughout, which is something that I definitely appreciate.
Favourite Tracks: Wandering Through | Crime | The Beginning | Obsession
Least Favourite Track: Words
Kill Rock Stars
