Narc. Magazine Online
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Caitlin Thomson discovers an intimate album of quiet feeling
Polydor/Darkroom/Geffen
Released: 13.10.23
Holly Humberstone’s debut album is a quiet explosion of feeling, as intimate as whispers in a dark room. A cohesive project filled with blues, car crashes, bones, moons and space. Loneliness and love twist through each well-crafted track, complemented by a gorgeous production: crackly tracks, percussion heartbeats, guitars, reverb and Humberstone’s quiet rasp glides over it all.
Solitude spills from lyrics on Ghost Me, and self-aware apology Antichrist is thick with voice distortion and guilt. Romance is infused into the bassline of 1997-Romeo-and-Juliet-esque ballad Swimming Pools, while Into Your Room is layered with celestial keys, synth and riffs. Standout Cocoon describes a bad mental health patch with soft acceptance, the music expanding its wings before folding back in on itself expertly.
