Having never heard Sheer Haimov’s music before, I came away from hearing “Ruin Your Life Mode” for the first bowled over by its superior song construction. One passage flows seamlessly into the next and it’s impossible to hear any “stitching” binding the track together. The song moves with total confidence from the first note and her vocals inhabit the performance with the seasoned presence of a major talent. It’s a testament to her gifts that she’s developed to such an extent so early in her career and I expect that each new song following this will continue following that trajectory.
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I was immediately taken by how she opens the song. It is a bit of musical slight of hand lulling listeners into thinking the song will be one thing when it is another. The shimmering synth driven opening, however, launched me into another world when the song begins in earnest. Percussion is critical for much of the performance. The loping pulse underlying much of the track engages you physically, but she mixes things up as well. She freely transitions between physicality and musical reverie without allowing the song to lose its footing.
It’s a slightly bitter reflection on a failed relationship and she cycles through a variety of emotions. Haimov reflects that with a variety of vocal shifts, but her voice always retains a light touch that never threatens to overwhelm the song. I especially enjoy the moments when she ratchets up the vocal intensity, aided with some double tracking, and digs deeper than ever into the song’s emotional heart. The wavering between different temperaments gives “Ruin Your Life Mode” a dramatic character that many similar pop songs lack.
The lyrics have some surprising moments of humor when Haimov vows to date girls from this point forward. You can take it another way, however, as a cry of desperation. It adds further depth to an already impressive song. The aforementioned cycling of emotions never flirts with cliché or overkill though. Haimov proves herself to be a skilled writer who has a message with the song and communicates it without an ounce of fat.
I’m happy with the song’s duration as well. She never overstays her welcome and, instead, sets the song up for optimal entertainment value. There’s no need for the track to spiral off into self-indulgence. She’s learned, as well, how to optimize the musical production to make for a stronger performance. I’m not entirely pleased though with how the double-tracked vocals come off, but it’s far from fatal to the overall effect.
Having heard “Ruin Your Life Mode”, I want more. I believe that many other listeners will agree. Listeners who have followed Haimov from the beginning will be more than happy with this song as well as she continues to elevate her art. There will be even more fans to come, to be sure, and she has certainly made a believer out of me. I’ll be awaiting her next single with eager anticipation and expect I’ll enjoy it as much, if not more.
Heather Savage