Following the breakout success of her debut EP, Falling Asleep At The Wheel, Holly Humberstone, was bound by government guidelines, unable to reap the rewards of her growing fanbase. During this time, the 21-year-old escaped to her studio in Nottingham and recorded the haunting, The Walls Are Way Too Thin.
The six-track EP is a coming-of-age tale, highlighting the brutal and oxymoronic nature of growing up. Whether this be the claustrophobic freedom of moving out on title track, ‘The Walls Are Way Too Thin’, or the comforting toxicity of holding on to someone for too long, on ‘Please Don’t Leave Just Yet’.
The EP starts with ‘Haunted House’, a chilling ballad where Humberstone pays a bittersweet homage to her declining childhood home. The ambiance lifted off the skeletal piano is eerily reminiscent of creaky floorboards in a decaying house. It creates an ethereal atmosphere, like Humberstone is wading through tangled lights in a sea of mist.
Humberstone and dream collaborator, Matty Healy, team up on ‘Please Don’t Leave Just Yet’. There is the obvious danger that Healy’s overt stylings will drown the personal project – fortunately, the duo creates something completely unique. The result is a minimal indie-ballad coloured by Bon Iver-Esque background vocals and arpeggiated synth notes.
‘Scarlett’ is infectious pop-rock with a sun-glazed hook, underpinned by a heartbroken narrator. The Grantham-born artist closes the record with ‘Friendly Fire’, a songwriting feat, that is tied up by the tear-jerking confession, “If I hurt you, it’s just friendly fire”. Behind this, a nostalgia-soaked instrumental reminiscent of The Cure’s ‘Just Like Heaven’.
Humberstone’s intimate songwriting isn’t just personal for the sake of poetry. It’s a powerful and cathartic tool that has been honed for a minute. The Walls Are Way Too Thin is an emotive diary set to an enchanting soundscape – a soundtrack for winter reflection.
Words By W.P Millar
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