Genre-wise, it’s been impossible to pin down Shamir since he burst on the scene with the indie-pop hit “On the Regular,” and Homo Anxietatem gleefully continues that tradition. After dabbling in industrial sounds on 2022’s Heterosexuality, Shamir goes full alt-rock on his new album (the title of which translates to “anxious man”). Opener “Oversized Sweater” is a guitar-driven ode to the handknit top he made himself during the lockdowns of 2020, while “Obsession” explores the tension between ambition and inertia. “I’m in combat with my brain,” Shamir sings on the LP’s bluesy finale, delivering a motto that should be relatable for anyone struggling to keep pressing onward in an increasingly unhinged world.
