The Shirzans are an all-woman Boston, MA-based band founded by lead singer Sarah Khatami. The band was formed during the members' tenure at the renowned Berklee College of Music and made some noise in the summer of 2018, performing all along the East Coast, from Boston to Washington D.C. to New York City. In the second half of 2019, the band released its debut single "Hunt" which served as the precursor and the title track to their recently released 4-track EP. Although it's short, the new EP packs a punch with its topics ranging from the scariness of life post-grad and college experiences to sisterhood while navigating the male-dominated music industry.
The debut EP starts off with the guitar-driven "Empty," which talks to searching for a piece of you that you know is missing, but you're not quite sure what you're looking for. The song has a smooth soft-pop, soul vibe and displays Khatami's raw, honest lyrics on vulnerability and the continuous search for something fulfilling.
"Plans" has a reflective soothing guitar riff and takes the listener down memory lane as the band looks back on life after grad school. This nostalgic, wistful tune is like looking through an old photo album and reliving every memory, wondering how it all changed so quickly, and wanting to be back in that moment one more time.
The following track "Afloat" goes for a more dreamy ethereal vibe with its soothing textures and a brilliant string arrangement by Michael Mastroianni. As the title suggests, the song is about staying calm in the midst of uncertainty. Helmed by Khatami who delivers an emotion-driven performance, she takes the listener on a musical and lyrical journey about aimlessly wandering through an open ocean without knowing exactly what your plans are, and yet, being at peace with it all.
The final and title track "Hunt" is a female power anthem that explores the defeat of fear, the reclamation of time, and the rising of the oppressed. A masterful way to close the project as the band goes for a more upbeat pace with new jack swing-Esque horns and an in-your-face rhythm section that makes the listener want to get up and take down the patriarchy—and have fun doing it.
FYI: The band's name means lioness in Persian
Photo cred: Isabelle Davison
