Holly Humberstone's "Paint My Bedroom Black" Album Review
In the past three years, Holly Humberstone has become a prominent figure in the music industry. Amid the 2020 pandemic, she released several singles. In 2021, she unveiled her EP, "The Walls are Way Too Thin." Following its success, she released more singles like "Sleep Tight" and "London is Lonely." She even collaborated with The 1975's lead singer, Matty Healy, and performed at the 2022 BRITS. These achievements paved the way for her to open for Olivia Rodrigo's 'Sour Tour.' Currently, Holly is on a European, Ireland, and Australian tour promoting her debut album, "Paint My Bedroom Black."
This album exudes a melancholic and nostalgic atmosphere. Each song recounts stories of people and places she encountered. In a recent Billboard interview, Holly mentioned, "I didn’t do it on purpose, but to me, the album sounds like it’s got two sides to it like there are two sides of me that I didn’t realize were coexisting." For those new to Holly's journey, she is a young touring artist who often grapples with loneliness, finding solace in journalism. She's experienced a whirlwind of experiences, forming connections with fans worldwide and venturing to unexpected tour destinations.
These experiences culminated in the creation of this album, which she crafted during numerous North American tours last year. In a Vice article, she described the songs as reflections on yearning for home, feeling adrift, and facing an identity crisis while navigating long-distance relationships.
One track, "Lauren," opens with an upbeat intro before transitioning into a poignant verse where she narrates a tale about her friend, Lauren. The lyrics, “So I put my fist through the wall/ 'Cause I've been falling too short/ Say the word and I'll call/ Say the word and I'm coming back/I put my fist through the wall/ I know that you deserve more,'' express a desire to mend a strained relationship. While Holly hasn't explicitly explained the song's meaning, fans speculate it relates to a period when her busy life necessitated space and closure.
In the song "Ghost Me," Holly references her friend Lauren in a voice memo at the end, drawing from a line in the TV show Spongebob. “There’s this SpongeBob line, which I always think of. And it’s, like, this guy, who’s really sad, and he goes: “I was born with, hm/ Paper skin and bones made out of glass/ Every day, I wake up and I shatter my ankles” This voiceover adds an intimate and sentimental tone, intertwining humor with remembrance through various media.
"Paint My Bedroom Black" showcases Holly's willingness to experiment with her sound. It's a pivotal chapter in her evolving narrative. She consistently documents her thoughts, lyrics, and musings in her journal while on tour. This debut album marks just another chapter in her ongoing story—there's more to come.