Popthony Corntano

Exclusive Album Review #01: sombr - I Barely Know Her (2025 LP)


Tracklist Ranking:

1. 12 to 12 (9/10)
2. we never dated (7.5/10)
3. back to friends (6.5/10)
4. under the mat (6/10)
5. undressed (6/10)
6. crushing (5/10)
7. canal street (4.5/10)
8. come closer (4.5/10)
9. i wish i knew how to quit you (4/10)
10. dime (3.5/10)

Sombr’s debut record I Barely Know Her shows a lot of potential but lacks some of the quality that would be needed for him to truly stand out.

You’ve most likely heard the name Sombr before, who is an up-rising American singer and songwriter. I say up-rising, but really this guy has more than half of 100 million listeners on Spotify, despite have only been making music for a few years now. Anyways, a few months ago, he announced he would drop his very first album I Barely Know Her, and on August 22nd, it dropped.

For being a debut album from an industry plant, this one ain’t that awful. Sombr shows a lot of good potential, from his charismatic vocals, his interesting songwriting and his catchy hooks. 12 to 12 is genuinely one of the catchiest and well-produced hits of the year, and maybe the decade so far. I love the glitzy disco production with the heavy bass and the piano synths, and the chorus is such a delight to my ears and possibly my favorite moment off the entire album. The other two songs I liked are fine, with some striking and noticeable hooks and some good instrumentals.

Despite these positives being really top-notch, that's really where most of my positives end. My biggest complaint from this album is the reverbed and distorted vocals. They turn off really bad and kind of make it unlistenable for me to listen to at some points. The song “i wish i knew how to quit you” would be SO much better if it wasn’t for the vocal performance on that track. Sombr is clearly a really good singer without any effects, so I see no point in having them in the first place. The instrumental direction isn't the best, also. It could definitely use some work but it’s not that big of a personal problem for me, especially since songs like 12 to 12 and back to friends balance this problem pretty well.

Overall, this record is just a borderline mediocre album with some really good highlights and potential, but not as consistent as it could’ve been. On the bright side, this album will forever be known as the first installment of the Exclusive Album Reviews series on this channel, so kudos to Sombr for that.

I’m feeling a Decent to Strong 5 on this Sombr record.

ALBUM REVIEW MENTIONS: (If you wish to be added or removed, then lemme know)
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5 days ago (edited) | [YT] | 2