HOLLY HUMBERSTONE

Paint My Bedroom Black (Polydor/Darkroom/Geffen)

Holly Humberstone’s debut album Paint My Bedroom Black is a coming-of-age record with a refreshing feel. Following on from her 2022 compilation, Can You Afford To Lose Me?, the BRIT Rising Star winner comes in strong with her debut.

Along with the album announcement, Humberstone released double A-Side singles Antichrist and Room Service, which are both album standouts. Antichrist is a raw, emotional heartbreak ballad about an ex-lover where everything is laid on the line; Room Service is a bittersweet ending to the album, a love song about not taking things for granted. 

Humberstone’s alt-pop sound makes the album an easy and enjoyable listen, with Cocoon and Ghost Me feeling like they are straight out of a teen indie romcom. There are some grittier, slower-paced tracks in there, too: Girl is a declaration to a lover, a message of longing to somebody she can’t have. Paint My Bedroom Black is mature and polished, with Humberstone’s signature vocal and moody sound making it her own.

words CHLOE MULLIS