Holly Humberstone – Paint My Bedroom Black

Alternative Pop

81%

 

As much as this site strives to champion new music and up-and-coming talent, the truth of the matter is that sometimes the worst thing that can happen to a promising new artist is being noticed. Now, I don’t mean that in a gatekeeping “I liked them before they were cool!” kinda way – that would be an especially odd take to have after countless hours spent here doing precisely the opposite. Rather with increased attention there comes a risk of artists losing part of their identity. Whether through outside pressure from labels and such, pushing something that fits their preferred sound or follows recent trends, or the artist’s own inner perfectionist kicking in as a response to heightened expectations, the end result is often the same. Overly polished production smothering character in the name of smoothing over rough edges, artists pushed too far out of their comfort zone or playing against their strengths, and ultimately records that fail to capture the spark of what made an act so exciting in the first place. 

Holly Humberstone has certainly had plenty of attention in the last few years. Making waves in the public consciousness right around the start of the pandemic, her first two EPs garnered the attention of major labels, BBC Sounds, and fellow success stories like Sam Fender and Olivia Rodrigo, as well as netting her the BRIT’s Rising Star award just last year. Speaking as someone who also grew up in the cultural black hole that is rural Lincolnshire, her string of successes have struck a chord with me moreso than a lot of other recent breakthrough acts. Living vicariously through her triumphs only made the fear that her work would be streamlined and commodified by the grand designs of the industry all the more potent. Yet I’m delighted to say that Holly’s debut album has deftly avoided the pitfalls that line the road to superstardom.

Paint My Bedroom Black has one of the strongest A sides I’ve heard this year. The title track, contrary to its name, is a buoyant upbeat opener, leading into the synthpop bliss of ‘Into Your Room‘ with its memorable melodramatic chorus. ‘Cocoon’ stands out as the album’s energetic rocker, with a superb all-round arrangement that gives each disparate element the room to shine, while Holly’s duet with D4vd ‘Superbloodmoon‘ provides a fusion of voices that seem worlds apart yet somehow feel like a match made in heaven, all set overtop some Bon Iver-esque instrumentation. Yet it’s ‘Kissing In Swimming Pools‘ that resonates most with me as the album’s highlight. This stunning slow-burner opens as a stripped back folk number, possibly the most raw and intimate her work has ever sounded, before a gorgeously expressive bass line kicks in to lift the whole track to new heights. From there the track builds even further into Mazzy Star style dream pop territory. Yet no matter how high it reaches, and how lush and ethereal it becomes, the vocals never lose that sense of emotional rawness and vulnerability. The whole thing feels like a massage for your goddamn soul, and there are times when I never want it to end. 

The album does lose a bit of steam in the latter half, resulting in a few frustrating missteps, but even piled together these minor flaws don’t amount to a dealbreaker. Brief vocoder interlude ‘Baby Blues’ feels a little distracting and unnecessary, the electronic beat on ‘Girl’ has a cartoonish bonk sound that feels like something out of Looney Tunes, while ‘Flatlining’ toys with an interesting rhythm that replicates the sound of an ECG machine before descending into an obnoxious dance number. Thankfully though the B side is not without its merits. At opposite ends of the spectrum you have the endearingly austere closing track ‘Room Service‘ displaying Holly’s artistry down at its bare essentials, and the darker alt-pop of ‘Antichrist‘ with its hints of Midnights era Swift. The former keeping in touch with her roots, while the latter pushes her sound to its most grand and cinematic without her heartfelt lyricism and tender vocals ever being crushed under the weight of it all. 

For many rising stars tackling their debut album, their new-found fame feels like a sword of Damocles hanging over their head. Holding back, not exploring or expressing thoughts and ideas to their fullest for fear that reaching too far might cause the bubble to burst. Paint My Bedroom Black doesn’t tip-toe around this double edged sword, instead it forms the backbone of the whole album. Time after time we encounter recurring themes of her rise to fame, her struggles with leaving parts of her old life behind, and a yearning to stay grounded and connected with the people she cares about while on the road. I’m reminded of the path Maggie Rogers followed; how her meteoric rise in the wake of ‘Alaska‘ in turn became the deeply personal creative spark for ‘Light On‘. There’s no sudden donning of a mask, no attempt to seem more polished and professional now that more people are listening, you’re never left in any doubt that this is the same artist that won so many people’s hearts. Therein lies the secret: so many debuts fail because they feel like an artist trying to be someone they’re not; Paint My Bedroom Black excels because it’s all Holly Humberstone right down to its core.