Shayfer James Releases ‘Summoning,’ A Whimsical World Full of Dark Cabaret and Vulnerable Poetic Narratives

Shayfer James, the New York-based singer-songwriter, composer, and pianist, has delivered the ultimate soundtrack to his whimsical world filled with dark cabaret on his new album Summoning, out today via Nettwerk. Summoning is a richly textured exploration of self-awareness, human connection, and the tension between isolation and belonging. 

Teeming with emotion, the album showcases James’ evolution as a songwriter while recalling the qualities that endeared him to fans of his acclaimed album Counterfeit Arcade. He laces dark humor and vulnerability into poetic narratives, charging his songs with playful melodies, cinematic arrangements, and an attitude between confident and chaotic. 

Shayfer shares on the creation of Summoning, “I decided to sequester myself away on the frozen oceanside of New Brunswick, Canada, because I knew I had a new album in me. I didn’t know what it would sound like or what it would be about, but I knew it was in there and that I wanted to be alone and somewhere beautifully cold when I wrote it.  The four weeks I spent writing Summoning were lush with gorgeous sunrises, flocking crows, and self-acceptance. It felt like a spell. A summoning of self. I felt tapped into the ether, and there’s really no better word to describe my time on Cape Tormentine other than “magic.”

WATCH “LIGHTHOUSE KEEPER” 

Summoning opens with “Imagine That,” a bombastic horn arrangement and ever-shifting dramatic tone painting a portrait of a solitary figure yearning for an alternate reality. “Imagine That is then followed by the album’s first single, “One Foot in the Grave,” which is sure to resonate with both longtime fans and new listeners. Its danceable groove, contagious chorus, and sharp lyrics balance rebellion, vulnerability, and hope, capturing James’ blend of grit and introspection. 

WATCH “ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE”

Summoning opens with “Imagine That,” a bombastic horn arrangement and ever-shifting dramatic tone painting a portrait of a solitary figure yearning for an alternate reality. “Imagine That is then followed by the album’s first single, “One Foot in the Grave,” which is sure to resonate with both longtime fans and new listeners. Its danceable groove, contagious chorus, and sharp lyrics balance rebellion, vulnerability, and hope, capturing James’ blend of grit and introspection. 

WATCH “IMAGINE THAT”

Next, “The Moral,” highlighted with its haunting piano melody and a nod to Shayfer’s love of Motown, adds depth to the album’s emotional arc through longing and mythical imagery. “Make A Wish is a boisterous anthem about personal demons and inner villains. 

The middle section of the album comprises what Shayfer calls his “home triptych” of “Lighthouse Keeper,” “Yellow House,” and “Headed Home,” taking listeners on a journey through identity and belonging via three different concepts of home. The uptempo maritime drinking song “Lighthouse Keeper” infuses the album with the whimsical energy of virtuoso accordion, while “Yellow House” recounts Shayfer’s early childhood over a stirring string arrangement. “Headed Home,” despite its dark imagery, is an epic, unexpectedly sweet, and powerful folk-pop love song. On “Hell of a Dream,” James delivers his trademark dark humor with a diabolically catchy hook that feels wrong to sing along with. Driven by a frenetic keyboard riff, the song is a scathing commentary on modern society.

The album closes with “Reverie” and “Winter Hymn,” which delve into letting go, whether of a relationship or personal burdens, offering a calming epilogue of resilience and hope. Summoning is a bold step forward for Shayfer James and a return to his roots. Blending poetic lyricism, haunting melodies, and a balance of familiar and new sounds, the album reaffirms James’ powerful voice in modern music.

Shayfer James, Summoning, is available on all digital and streaming platforms here: 
https://shayferjames.ffm.to/summoning.

To celebrate the release of his album, Shayfer is currently on a Canadian tour with labelmate Fish in a Birdcage. The tour continues tonight in Ottawa at The 27 Club with stops in Montreal at Bar Le Ritz, Halifax at Seahorse Tavern, and making a final stop in St. Catharines at Warehouse Concert Hall. Shayfer will then embark on a European and U.K. tour in the fall. Additionally, Shayfer James wrapped up a twenty-six-date U.S. headline tour in May that included two sold-out shows at The Gramercy Theatre on May 16 and May 17 in New York City, opening for Will Wood. 

Shayfer’s musical fantasy has come alive within his community through his incredible live performances. Shayfer James has provided an outlet for his fans to feel accepted and authentically themselves in a carefree environment without judgment.