Sombr has just added another collection of emotion-packed songs to his discography. Born Shane Michael Boose, the 20-year-old artist has added a 10-track paragon to his catalogue. Released on Aug. 22, the album “I Barely Know Her” features the viral hits “back to friends” and “undressed.” 

Sombr kicked off his musical career in 2021, releasing the single “nothing left to say.” The artist recently gained attention for his December 2024 single “back to friends.” 

“back to friends,” track four of “I Barely Know Her,” illustrates the intense emotional aftermath of a broken relationship. With a crack in his voice, sombr sings, “How can you look at me and pretend / I’m someone you’ve never met?” Perhaps the most catchy and tormenting song of the album, Sombr knew exactly how to get his heartbreak across to his listeners. 

Tracks “12 to 12” and “we never dated” were also debuted prior to the album’s release date. The songs reference a relationship that didn’t work out. The rawness of sombr’s voice in “12 to 12” shows desperate unrequited feelings, and sombr’s desire to always look for the same person in a crowded room. 

Similarly, “we never dated” goes back to the feelings of wanting someone that will never be yours. Sombr describes this with the lyrics, “Why do you always leave me achin’ / When you were never mine for the takin’?” Ugh, sombr, you’re breaking hearts here. 

Track one encapsulates the album’s theme with “crushing,” describing that the artist misses the back-and-forth of a talking stage, even if it never developed into an official relationship. Sombr’s rigid voice intensifies his desire for the relationship to work out.

Track three, “i wish i knew how to quit you,” refers to the idea of wanting to let go of someone, but being unable to. Sombr sings, “You were never mine, but I was always yours,” illustrating the idea that even if he couldn’t have that partner, it didn’t prevent him from wanting her. 

The fifth track of this album pulls on my heart strings. “canal street” is possibly the most despairing of the songs, describing the ghostly and empty feeling after a relationship ends, and the places and things that remind you of someone you loved. Heartbreakingly, sombr sings, “I try to go on dates / But none of them are you.” While “canal street” may not be as mesmerizing as some of the other tracks, it’s an important addition to the album. 

The seventh track, “undressed,” while sounding bright and peppy, has a much more melancholic tone. In an interview with Alt Revue, sombr addressed the direct meaning of his song, saying it wasn’t just about lust.  

“This is about not wanting to start a new relationship because you are longing for the old one,” sombr said. “You want the familiar and not the unknown.” 

The track delineates the frustration of returning to square one after the demise of a relationship. The lyrics “I don’t wanna get undressed / For a new person all over again” refer to sombr’s experience that being intimate with a new person comes with difficult emotions. 

Track ten, “under the mat,” is an attest to emotions that might linger after a relationship has ended. Sombr uses a harrowing metaphor; he has been locked out of a house, in turn losing his home. 

“I Barely Know Her” is a fairly somber album, but for sombr, it fits right into the rest of his discography. Whether you’re a longtime fan or a newbie to his music, sombr has hauntingly relatable music that solidifies the artist’s immersion into indie alternative music. 

Edited by Ainsley Bryson | [email protected]
Copy edited by Avery Copeland | [email protected]
Edited by Alex Gribb | [email protected]