Sheer Haimov’s “Ruin Your Life Mode”

Sheer Haimov’s “Ruin Your Life Mode” is the latest single from the Israeli born singer. All of the ingredients are there. The vibrant commercial sound, the solid fundamentals, contemporary lyrics certain to connect with a wide swath of listeners, and a highly musical vocal that cuts through the arrangement to captivate listener’s attention. Juggling these seemingly disparate elements to come up with this winning single is the latest indication of Haimov’s growing ability to thread a musical needle that few other performers can match, She is alive and alert to musical possibilities in a way that modern performers, young or old, seldom are.

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She’s increased her reach far beyond the confines of Israel. Europe has embraced Sheer Haimov’s charms and she’s making her presence felt in the United States as well. There’s a big reason why. Songs such as “Ruin Your Life Mode” cut across borders because they are intensely human. This isn’t some track grounded in an alien culture unfamiliar to listeners scattered across the world. Her voice is another big reason why.

She sings with unquestionable passion. Some of the final effect comes from production manipulation beefing up her voice, but she has outstanding range that she puts to good use throughout this tune. Alternating between the higher end of her range and lower register vocals creates a dramatic effect for the lyrical content. It fits the lyrical content. The quavering vulnerability warring with the more assertive moments will prove to be a big attraction for virtually every conceivable listener.

The lyrics delve into well-worn territory. It’s a breakup song, but she frames the resulting fallout in language listeners will identify with. It’s ultimately her distinct turns of phrase, however, that separates her material from more run of the mill endeavors. It’s eye-opening to hear such a young vocalist approach material such as this with this sort of maturity level and begs listeners to wonder how much further she can go. Few people who hear this tune, however, will question how high of a ceiling she has. There’s nothing she can’t sing.

There are smatterings of rock dynamics scattered throughout the arrangement as well. It blends exceptionally well with the essentially pop song nature of “Ruin Your Life Mode” and that provides further evidence of her gifts. Few are going to come away from the song believing it’s a live band she’s working with, the percussion is strong but clearly electronically generated. It doesn’t weaken the performance, however.

Nor does the presence of synthesizers and keyboards. Her voice links up well with these instrumental touches, even when she’s exploring the lower end of her register, and it complements the song’s character, This isn’t really a track destined to be played in clubs, but it certainly invites physical interaction. “Ruin Your Life Mode” is actually closer to the singer/songwriter genre than anything else as she throws open the lid on her heart and allows us to look within. It’s quite a sight and you can’t turn away. 

Nicole Killian