Its predecessor Paint My Bedroom Black was restless but wired and sought inspiration across musical genres feeling hit and miss as a result. The preceding compilation Can You Afford To Lose Me? collected together earlier EPs and singles and was similarly scattershot but did demonstrate the singer-songwriter’s initial growth. So Cruel World plays much more like a recalibration, a fresh start, third time’s a charm. Indeed, the very first track, “So It Starts…” nods towards the new theatrical worlds within, as it sounds like an orchestra readying for a full performance.
Inhabiting the fantastical, dramatic and gothic corners where Humberstone currently resides you can hear emotions shaping her songs most prominently. The singles remain ‘pop’ in every sense, ripe with melodic hooks and assured wordplay, nestled inside the tales of heartbreak and self reflection. “Die Happy” introduces a darker palette, while “To Love Somebody” kicks that door even wider, pairing the dusky horror aesthetic with a warmer, bona fide smash hit feel replete with forgiving lyrics. The track reframes heartache in a way that’s quietly disarming yet without sounding naive.
Then there’s the title track, distant and distorted, capturing that strange emotional lag of being away from someone you love. It’s diaristic without being claustrophobic, and it’s one of several moments where her writing feels sharpest.
The album is hugely front loaded and by the time “White Noise” chimes up around halfway you’re almost maxed out on earworms. But as this track’s insistent tune spits out its frankly brilliant melodies there’s also a nagging suspicion – a familiarity that’s impossible to shake off. Wait a minute, this is “Save Your Tears” by The Weeknd. And it is. Interpolation or inspiration, this tune directly lifts key melodies of that song. That’s why I’m dancing, it’s an exceptional tune…but it’s not Humberstone’s. While it’s essentially not ‘such’ a big deal it certainly risks undermining the groundwork she’s laid out to that point because everything that follows then feels like far paler fare.
Cruel World isn’t built on sharp contrasts. It’s more interested in vying for consistency, in holding a particular emotional tone and exploring it from different angles. For some, that might feel too inward-looking. For others, it’s likely the main point. The same applies to Humberstone’s choice to leave some lyrical tensions unresolved. She stays in it again and again, even when songs circle back to the same viewpoint, that the best parts of life tend to carry a sting. Frankly, it becomes a weary position to endure as a listener later in the album especially following the barrage of stronger pop tunes earlier.
This album undoubtedly expands Humberstone’s sonic palette while holding onto some intimacy. There’s more intention in the production choices. Subtle textures, grand orchestrations, flashes inspired by old films and fairy tales. You can feel her leaning even further into the idea of pop as storytelling. And yet later there’s also a restraint that hinders some bigger moments from landing, like she’s trying not to overwhelm. Mixed signals allowing you to come closer but feeling like a faux embrace, still kept at arms length. She’s asking earnest questions but seems less desperate for real answers. That’s okay, they’re her songs, her stories but it also feels distancing. You’re left shrugging, like, okay, whatever. As recalibrations, or simply maturing, goes Cruel World is as mixed and contradictory as her debut. Humberstone has learned how to live in her complicated world and yet it’s still sometimes unclear what that actually looks like.
