Though Shamir is gearing up for the release of his self-titled record, make no mistake — the album is far from his debut, as self-titled efforts often are. With five records already in his catalog, Shamir aims to hone his sparking indie pop sound through recent songs like the vibrant “On My Own” or the ’90s pop-inspired “Running.” Now, Shamir offers another taste of the upcoming release with “Other Side.”
“Other Side” displays Shamir’s ability to lean on different musical styles as it opens with undulating guitar riffs, banjo, and steel pedal reminiscent of a dusty country western score. While the song’s style contrasts from other singles released ahead of Shamir, it’s not uncommon for the singer to draw from a wide array of influences. Oftentimes introspective, Shamir’s recent singles touch on topics like identity or toxic relationships and, even when his inspiration doesn’t come directly from his own experiences, Shamir is able to see the big picture. Shamir does just that on “Other Side,” pulling the song’s storyline not from his own life, but rather a particularly affecting episode of the true crime series Unsolved Mysteries:
“I watched an episode of Unsolved Mysteries about a woman whose husband was lost during the Vietnam War and how she never gave up trying to get answers about what happened to him. I wrote this song from her perspective. They’re both now deceased, so the song is also about how (I hope) they’ve reunited in the afterlife, or more accurately, the ‘Other Side.'”
Listen to “Other Side” above.
Shamir is out 10/2 via Shamir. Pre-order it here.
