Shura - Recognise
After a six-year hiatus, British singer-songwriter and producer Shura announces her new album with the magnificent first single "Recognise." I Got Too Sad For My Friends is scheduled for May 30 via Play It Again Sam
I am hardly the first or only one who can hear some of Kate Bush's vocals in Shura's, which is just so beautiful in itself. But that's not where the similarities end. Like the eclectic pop music pioneer, Shura creates music that is exceptionally well crafted, full of delightful surprises, yet at the same time approachable and, yes, catchy! Listening to the mellow and utterly beautiful song, I was somewhat surprised to learn that Shura would drink coffee while reading a book. I would have pictured something like a light Earl Grey or maybe herbal tea. Drinking coffee, for me, means that there is a light at the end of the tunnel already.
Shura says about "Recognise:"
“Arthur Russell sang 'being sad is not a crime' and yet somehow when I went through a period of despair in January I felt that the best course of action was to hide myself away from the world. I think Recognise is a song about coming out the other side of that feeling. Slowly coming to the understanding that everything is ok. And that ok - is good. That I can sit quietly, read a book, sip a coffee and deeply appreciate being here and everything that has happened and has yet to happen…”
Rarely do we copy & paste the press copy, but since I was immediately drawn to the visuals for the album campaign as well as the album cover, this is too poignant not to share verbatim:
The artwork for 'I Got Too Sad For My Friends' depicts Shura sitting alone on a mountainside, dressed in a baggy jumper, ripped jeans, Converse, and various pieces of armour that fail to cover her vital organs. Part Kurt Cobain, part Leonardo DiCaprio in Romeo + Juliet. The image captures everything about the album, which documents a rocky period of sadness and isolation in pastoral terms. Its warm blend of chamber pop, sixties folk and campfire Americana builds the singer’s acutely introspective songwriting out into a vast landscape.
Listen to "Recognise," our Song Pick of the Day:
Connect with Shura and add "Recognise" to your playlist as we add it to our #glamglarepick playlist on Spotify and YouTube. Listen to our Song Pick of the Day on Spotify or Apple Music.
Bandcamp New & Notable Nov 20, 2024