Lera Shemi is unraveling something with โcall you by your namE,โ the third chapter of her unfolding concept album You & Me & HER. The Ukrainian-born, LA-based artist zooms in on the simple, intimate, and confrontational act of saying someoneโs name out loud. Following the sharper edges of her earlier releases, this track feels like stepping closer to the fire instead of circling it.
Clocking in at just 1:35, โcall you by your namEโ doesnโt waste a second. It opens with a distorted, gnarly bassline that buzzes under your skin, paired with deep, thumping beats that feel more like a pulse than a rhythm. The whole thing leans into an alt-pop meets electronic grunge aestheticโgritty, tight, and a little unsettling in the best way.
Then her voice comes in, and thatโs where it gets interesting. Leraโs voice is high, grainy, and slightly raspy, repeating, โI like to call you by your nameโ as if the more she says it, the more she gets to possess the person behind their name. Meanwhile, a vocal layer of hers gasps breathily in the background. It creates this push-pull between control and vulnerability, like sheโs both owning the moment and unraveling inside it.
What really stands out, though, is how stripped yet intentional everything feels. You will be impressed knowing that Shemi handled the writing, production, and engineering herself. That just shows she owns every part of the song and every instrument cohesively speaks for her. No wonder, saying a name shouldnโt feel this heavyโbut here, it does. Compared to the earlier chapters, this one feels more inward, more personal.
Lera Shemiโs โcall you by your namEโ doesnโt resolve anything. It lingers, like a thought you keep coming back to, whether you want to or not.
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Review by: Naomi Joan