Indie-pop artist I Shiver has channeled his inner Soccer Mommy and Vincent Lima in his latest single “Not Myself.” A story about trying to rediscover oneself, the song stays simplistic to spotlight the singer-songwriter’s lyricism.
A major trend of recent years is the growing influence of country in different styles and genres, and “Not Myself” is an excellent example of this change. In the first verse, lingering guitar melodies drenched in reverb hint at the country elements of the song that effortlessly blend into the soft pop genre. These guitar melodies are layered on top of one another to create a large space for the soft drums and peaceful vocals to sit in. The drum beat and acoustic guitars are kept simple throughout the song, allowing the electric guitars to roam the soundscape. With sparse instrumentation drenched in heavy echo, the song feels expansive yet relaxed, mirroring the melancholy lyrics.
A slight downside to this echoed style of music is that the heavy guitars can sometimes drown out the vocals. “Not Myself” does, at points, fall victim to this with I Shiver’s vocals being sometimes indistinguishable, emphasised by his quiet vocal delivery. Still, in the lyrics that you can hear, a narrative of loss and personal anguish takes place. The vocal hook of the song, “My heart is everything I can’t have / So I’ll go and shatter what is left here,” is a saddening realisation of self-loathing and a quiet promise to grow. These lines encapsulate the song’s tone: grief that has overstayed its welcome.
Overall, “Not Myself” by I Shiver is a melancholic song wrapped in soothing guitars and a relaxing beat that lets listeners reflect on the lyrics’ self-loathing and torment. The single by I Shiver is out now.
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