Album Review: REforms

Shayne P. Carter’s new album REforms is unexpected. It dives into the depths of Shayne’s catalogue and reimagines and revisits some of his gems. It is a collaboration with the NZSO (New Zealand Symphony Orchestra). Everything about this album feels grand. At times, it reminds me a bit of the late David Bowie’s Blackstar record. The strings offer a new perspective and atmosphere. The entire record has a dark, dramatic feel to it.

The opening track, We Will Rise Again, is moody. The strings bring a darkness to the track, a sense of melancholy and mystery. The song builds with Shayne’s iconic vocals accompanying the strings with a sense of ease and purpose. The track is incredibly executed.

Carter’s songwriting has always been unique and powerful, carrying a sense of tension and vulnerability. And the NZSO seems like the perfect pairing to bring this out in a special sort of way. If I Were You is a beautiful and bold take on the Straitjacket Fits classic. It completely reinvents the song while making sure it does it justice. In many ways, these songs feel like this is how they were meant to be heard. Crystalator still has its same energy from the Dimmer recordings, yet the strings bring a more sinister atmosphere.

Songs like Left to Defend and Just a Moment have a certain elegance and beauty about them. Carter’s voice is absolutely brilliant.

This record is absolutely brilliant. In many ways, it feels like an evolution of Carter’s classics. The years of experience have evolved these songs, giving them a whole new sense of life. I have always admired Carter’s work—from The Bored Games, to the Double Happys, to Straitjacket Fits, and more recently Dimmer and his very accomplished solo career. Carter has constantly reinvented himself; his music is always pushing boundaries and delivering something special.

A good friend of mine, John, once said to me, and I quote: “Shayne Carter is New Zealand’s greatest rockstar, and I mean a real rockstar.” I saw this definition of what a rockstar is and I thought it sums up this album and Shayne P. Carter very well: “Being a rockstar isn’t about fame or perfection. It’s about committing to something bold and unfamiliar, expressing yourself fully, and sharing that expression with others.” This album, like many of Shayne’s, is bold and confronting. From start to finish, it demands your attention and takes you on an emotional journey.

This collaboration is so unique, interesting, and above all, beautiful. Congratulations to Shayne and the NZSO!