ALBUM REVIEW: Shura – Nothing’s Real

Most debut albums are produced without any artistic restriction from major record labels. Without corporate control, the artist can create music with more freedom. Thankfully, Shura was able to show her true talent with Nothing’s Real. The album is lyrically genius to the likes of Joni Mitchel’s Blue and modernly energetic to the feel of Yelle.

The first song on Nothing’s Real is “(i)” or what could be the entrance song to a planetarium. Upon entering the exhibit, you embrace the humble, warm, and welcoming tones of Shura’s music. You immediately sense the emotion, love, and her tender feelings as you would staring at the universe through a telescope for the first time. The album is a telescope to Shura’s universe, and it’s epic.

Shura has a human connection in her music that is felt during her leading song “Kids ‘N’ Stuff.” The song’s most powerful lyric was “how could I not be everything that you need?” With such a simple question Shura leaves an impactful and universal message.

The beauty of this album is that everything is honest and genuine. Almost everybody at some point has felt inadequate in one way or another. A majority of the time it’s in the form of a relationship or growing pains of the adolescent years transitioning to adulthood.

Nothing’s Real is worth checking out if not for the music than simply for the story it tells. In Shura’s music, there are points that the rhythm seems ambient, and all you hear is her voice. The music is not still it’s continuous but in perfect harmony. Shura’s Nothing’s Real is a true unity of music and word.