Shamir has had a tumultuous year to say the least. Not only did he disband from his management, but he suffered from mental health issues which resulted in a stay in a psychiatric hospital and a diagnosis of bipolar disorder. While in recovery, he wrote his new album, Revelations, in a two week period which is his first with new label Father/Daughter Records. “It just flowed out,” he stated of the record, like “pages of my diary.” It’s a very different record to the dance-filled Ratchet, to say the least. Instead, Shamir has released a personal, intimate record aimed at outsiders, in the same way John Hughes films did in the 1980s.

Opening with ‘Games’ and ‘You Have a Song’, it’s instantly clear that he’s opted for a more delicate, alternative sound than his debut album. The move to Father/Daughter, the home to the likes of Diet Cig and Vagabon, seems a good fit for Shamir, and it’s clear that he’s testing himself as a musician. His voice, on these two songs in particular, sound crisp, but maintain Shamir’s trademark high-pitched vocals which I can’t see being for everyone. On ‘Games’ in particular, his warbling and crooning could match anything released by Kate Bush.

When Shamir released Ratchet three years ago he already had a unique style and, partly due to his androgynous voice, sounded like no one else in pop music. This change to a more melancholic, guitar-based sound is incredibly brave and, crucially, seems to have worked – both for his album and for him. Despite the weighty themes of the album, Shamir still appears to be having fun. On lead single ‘90’s Kids’, which came with a fun, meme-filled music video, he essentially stands up for millennials defending his generation with a concise: "Fuck you, we out here struggling." It’s achingly empathetic, and a fantastic pop song to boot.

‘Float’, which is about a hallucination from Shamir’s psychosis, is surprisingly the cheeriest song on the album. Shamir said it was about his only beautiful hallucination where he envisioned himself in heaven with his friends. His voice on the song is the most conventional we’ve heard Shamir possibly ever. He’s soulful, impassioned and touching when he sings: “Meet me at the finish line” a lyric, contextually speaking, that is immensely sad and an in-depth look at the psych of Shamir.

Album closer ‘Straight Boy’ sees Shamir tackling whitewashing in the media. Shamir sings: “Someone tell me why/I always seem to let these/straight boys run my life” in the chorus with a quiet conviction. There’s an almost reticent anger to Revelations, as if Shamir’s made a peaceful protest of an album. For an album that was recorded alone and in a fortnight, it’s an incredibly well-thought out, lean, satisfying album.

Shamir’s Revelations is an innocent, frightening look into Shamir’s life and mindset, but, in a broader subtext, can also be seen as just how hard life is for younger people, especially for the BAME and LGBT community. Shamir takes up the mantle of a leader and Revelations is the manifesto. It’s a call to arms for millennials, but a subtler pat on the back, telling them everything will be okay. It’s a sublime, important album from a very dynamic and interesting artist.

Liam McMillen

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