Holly Humberstone at Shepherd’s Bush Empire

A few weeks out from the release of her third album, Cruel World, Holly Humberstone is standing on the precipice of change when she takes to the Shepherd’s Bush Empire stage tonight. The indie-pop starlet is entering a new era, one that follows in the worldbuilding footsteps of Chappell Roan or Caroline Polachek while taking sonic inspiration from the uptempo dreamy synth pop sounds of The 1975 (no doubt influenced by her long-time collaborator Rob Milton).

The show opens to the clanging of a clock articulated with white strobe lights. The stage is decked out in her recently adopted medieval-gothic aesthetic, complete with theatrical paper cutouts of cross headstones, barren trees and flowers (as seen in the Cruel World music video). After her three bandmates take to their places, Humberstone steps out nonchalantly in sheer black hareem trousers and a lace bralette to perform one of the opening tracks off the new record, Make It All Better. Rocky drums by Lauren O’Donnell Anderson, shreddy guitar by Jack Louis Rennie and steady bass by Seth Tackaberry seep into every crevice of the building, washing over the warm, intergenerational sea of smiles and sways. Without missing a beat, the band transitions into To Love Somebody, one of the upcoming album’s hooky singles. Lights shine on the audience for the “It always does” call and response section of the song, illuminating groups of friends holding each other as they sing.

Humberstone’s stage presence, though veiled in shyness, mirrors the sweetness in the crowd, even if it occasionally feels a little understated for the theatricality of her set. Technically, she’s flawless; her stunning vocals are clean and compressed, cushioned nicely among the band and supporting backing tracks. An acoustic moment in Beauty Pageant provides a welcome change of pace and allows us to hone in on Humberstone’s vivid storytelling. But it’s the audience’s response to Falling Asleep at the Wheel that provides the extra wind to her sails as we reach the end of the night. Hopefully, when the heightened terror-tinged fairytale of Cruel World meets Humberstone’s fan base, the response will be equally as electric.

Megan Merino
Photos: LA Benoit

For further information and future events, visit Holly Humberstone’s website here.

Watch the video for Cruel World here: