New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Shofar is an indie rock band out of Minneapolis, Minnesota that just released their self-titled album on October 16th of this year. On the album is the song "Running," which is the first track on Shofar. The band's name shares the same with an ancient musical horn that's used for Jewish Religious purposes- namely, used at the end of Yom Kippur and during Rosh Hoshanah (the Jewish new year). The band has a strong sound with enough intriguing elements that I kept playing it on a loop for quite a while.
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Running" starts off pretty cool. It immediately made me feel like I was in for an interesting ride, and it did not disappoint. There's this underlying guitar riff in the beginning of the song that I am obsessed with. There isn't anything special about it on it's own, but the juxtaposition between it and the rest of the music is so enjoyable I found myself waiting excitedly for it to come back in. I was a little disappointed when it didn't make a reappearance, but I suppose that makes the opening even more special and enjoyable, then! The end of the song, while not altogether unique, left me feeling a similar sensation to the beginning. "
Running" is solid in all areas.
The lyrics are so strong. I was sold from the first lines- "I'm in perpetual motion, like the roar of the ocean / I hide behind my mask and chaos becomes my friend." I have a soft spot for mask imagery, especially of the masquerade variety. Metaphorically speaking, despite the usage of masks to describe false personas and the like being considered cliche, I am a fan. It's a matter of aesthetic appreciation. The lyrics are solid throughout the entire song, which left me engaged and giddy. I felt some sort of false-calm wash over me, despite the lyrics themselves making me question a number of things. It has a certain power to it that I admire greatly.
The singer has an absolutely haunting voice. I don't know what it is, but I am fixated on how his voice sounds throughout the song. It's enchanting and there's this melancholic note in it that I can't quite shake. The guitarist(s) and drummer are also incredibly talented- after listening to some of the other songs on the album, I appreciate that Shofar has a diverse sound and they experiment with various melodies. It's impressive and I really admire their work.
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Running" and Shofar are great songs that I would suggest to just about anyone. I particularly suggest it if you're a fan of strong lyrics, as this song has some stellar ones that, while being a bit of an ear worm, are so good I can't even be annoyed about it. The music is fantastic and the lead singer has a voice that I could listen to forever. Definitely give them a listen, and consider checking out their newly released album, Shofar.
