Shamir may now be best known for his vivacious disco/house influenced tracks from his debut album Ratchet, but his most arresting moments often occur when most everything is stripped away besides his voice. The opening song to Ratchet, “Vegas,” stood out because it let his voice seethe and drive the track’s emotional life, while his Northtown EP song “I’ll Never Be Able to Love” was a stunning, minimalist anti-confessional. Just today, he released another similarly spare track, and it’s just as gorgeous — it also happens to be a cover of Duran Duran’s 1982 hit, “Hungry Like the Wolf.” Offsetting the original song’s upbeat/active tone, Shamir adds a new depth to the predatory lyrics by singing them more through a voice of idle yearning.
As Stereogum points out, the cover comes in honor of Shamir opening for Duran Duran this Spring. (It looks like he’ll mostly be supporting the group during their East Coast performances). The iconic new wave band should be on guard: if he decides to play this, he just may upstage them.
Read Flavorwire’s profile of Shamir — and his aura — here.