Indie pop is yet again the subject of this week’s music article, but this segment features a new and ever emerging artist from the United Kingdom. British singer/songwriter Holly Humberstone is the new kid on the block, recently releasing an EP titled Falling Asleep at the Wheel. The musician may be new, but she’s not completely unheard of having played at Wembley Stadium for a massive crowd on tour with Lewis Capaldi, and also in August in a performance that featured on Jimmy Kimmel’s talk show. With the buzz she’s currently generating, this new extended play is a true invitation for the rest of the world to take some notice.
British singer/songwriter Holly Humberstone is the new kid on the block, recently releasing an EP titled Falling Asleep at the Wheel.
Not much yet is known about the twenty year old singer. This is likely to be the case for a while as she continues to climb up the latter, but Falling Asleep at the Wheel is sure to assist in that. The EP has six songs for a running time of just under twenty minutes and there’s certainly consistency within her sound even though each song has its own message and differentiation in style. Focusing mostly on piano, keyboards, and electric guitar, Humberstone is also aided by a sound producer in that of Rob Milton who layers her seasoned vocals with other electric tweaks and synths to act that extra ‘something’ that gives the EP an added benefit.
Humberstone’s debut EP is an incredibly vulnerable piece of artistry. For being only twenty, she approaches her music with the wisdom and intuition of someone twice her age. Not shying away from mental health, depression, and relationship struggles, Falling Asleep at the Wheel is textbook maturity and self-awareness. The opening song Deep End is an obvious ode to depression and how tough it can be to face each day, Humberstone coming in strong with clear and concise vocal technique showcasing a soft intensity and heavy emotional focus. The title track continues these themes ever so slightly, but increases the tempo and broadens the overall message of ‘falling asleep at the wheel’, with the lyrics insinuating a feeling of hopelessness and perhaps struggling with losing the plot in life possibly due to prior negative experiences. Vanilla is more contrasting in comparison to the first few songs in terms of pacing and it deviates away from the soft vibe of the first mentioned tracks. Livewire is the final track, a ballad led by the piano and with Humberstone’s vocals taking priority over the added editing of the five other tracks, but with sharp harmonies mixed together to give it an almost choral like energy.
Holly Humberstone, barring any unforeseen challenges, isn’t going away after this EP. She’s already slowly racking up the streaming numbers on YouTube and Spotify, and will most likely garner enough interest for a full length album in the near future. She has the style, the artistic aesthetic, and most of all, she has the talent. Her vocals, whether all natural or trained, are not to be overlooked. Check out the EP and her latest single Scarlett.
