sombr’s “i barely know her” Is a Newly Added Staple in My Music Rotation- and Should Be for You, Too
by Zarah Donnelly | August 25th, 2025
Photo Credits: Bryce Glenn (bryceglenn_ on Instagram)
2025 has been a breakthrough year for sombr, who first experienced a taste of virality in 2022 with his single “caroline”. The release of “back to friends” in the tail end of 2024 put his name on the metaphorical list of artists to watch out for, and this was only furthered by the releases of “we never dated” and “12 to 12” this summer. As he quickly became a known name, he made sure to successfully build anticipation online for his debut album, i barely know her, which was released on August 22nd, and was preceded by an intimate concert in New York on August 21st, where he gave fans an early performance of the album.
i barely know her is an incredibly coherent debut album, with funky, danceworthy pieces like “dime” and the hit “12 to 12”. You can’t help but bop your head along to the album’s opener, “crushing”, which is a deceptively upbeat plea for a return to normalcy in a relationship that is falling apart. “12 to 12” is filled with disco-influenced basslines and riffs, earning its place as one of sombr’s top hits. The musician’s vocal range is put on full display in “i wish i knew how to quit you”, a groovy piece telling the story of yearning for a former fling, which many listeners can find relatability in. “back to friends”, sombr’s most successful hit to date, has rightfully earned that title- it’s an earworm that you simply can’t get out of your head, with dancey backing basslines and a piano lead-in that instantly hooks you before the opening verse even begins.
There is a surprisingly clean change of pace after this, leading into “canal street”, a heartwrenching lament to the loss of a relationship that the singer is still reeling from. With lyrics like “Do you hear me crying out for you on the radio?” and “I look for girls with your traits / but none of them are you”, this song tugs on your heartstrings in just the right way before the album takes a sharp turn back into an upbeat sound. “dime” is objectively my favorite entry in i barely know her. There’s a certain charm about “dime”, with its lyrics full of yearning laid over fun, borderline folksy riffs. The line “You’re a ten / and I’m a man that needs a dime” is both witty and sweet, and really stuck with me during my first listen of this album. “undressed” follows “dime” smoothly, and features my favorite bridge in the album. The bridge’s melodic flow is tonally reminiscent of late ‘90s works of bands like Fastball, earning its place in my top 3 recommendations for anyone who listens to the album.
The eighth track, “come closer”, is a fun, sultry piece with riffs in the chorus that mentally take me back to the early 2010s in the best way, reminding me of bands like Two Door Cinema Club while holding on tightly to his signature bedroom pop vocals. “we never dated”, which was released as a single on June 20th, is another entry that highlights sombr’s impressive vocals, especially in the bridge, and proves itself to be another earworm that I find myself singing or humming at random. i barely know her closes out with “under the mat”, which sings about a relationship that sombr knows for a fact has ended and has no hope of repair, shown in lyrics like “I was doing fine until it hit me on a random day in July / that she’ll never be mine again in this lifetime” and “It’s coming off the hinges from the wall / it has detached”. “under the mat” announces the album’s end in the final line, aptly stating “That’s the album, man”.
i barely know her is an impressive debut album, full of catchy hooks, choruses, and backing instrumentals (all mostly performed and recorded by 20 year old sombr himself) that tie everything up in a very palatable bow. Following this release, sombr is set to embark on a nearly entirely sold out North American and European tour, beginning on September 22nd in Charleston, South Carolina.
