Shamir - Tryna Survive

At this stage, Shamir’s more of a chameleon than that infernally catchy dad disco ear-worm by Culture Club. Leaping from the strutting, agogô-filled ‘On the Regular,’ to the heartbreaking soul of ‘Darker’ without a casual glance back, such drastic swerves in direction are second nature to the Las Vegas musician. With this in mind, it’s no real surprise to hear that Shamir’s latest outing takes yet another form; it’s a jangly, peppy, guitar-led ditty.

Beyond its playful barber-shop harmonies, and twanging guitar solos, ’Tryna Survive’ toys with a familiar theme for Shamir; the idea that we often wear costumes in life to get by. Reversing an old chestnut, Shamir’s just “a sheep in wolf’s clothing,” this time; faking toughness to survive the daily grind. Lightly skipping, and backed by his brilliantly named band the Walrus Whiskers, his latest outing shows Shamir as soulful and as versatile as ever.