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Sep 24, 2024 Web Exclusive By Alfie Verity

Suki Waterhouse describes “Supersad,” from Memoir of a Sparklemuffin, as a “song you could hear playing at the mall in Clueless or as an opening track for Legally Blonde.” This intent to capture a time, a feeling, a pop culture moment on “Supersad” shows that Waterhouse understands a tenet that makes pop music great: through bubbly songwriting and Technicolour production, you can conjure a specific fantasy, a memory. It’s what makes “Supersad” the best song on the album, a glittery cut of carefree indie-pop.

Unfortunately, the rest of the album doesn’t always replicate this sense of imagination. Memoir of a Sparklemuffin suffers too often from a risk aversion that leaves it feeling predictable. Some of the songs aim for a Lana Del Rey confessional style, but aren’t acerbic or brave enough to recreate the magic that makes her work dazzle. On “Everybody Breaks Up Anyway” Waterhouse sings “I know sometimes we fight / make you sad, make you crazy / just light up a cigarette, forget you hate me.” You can sense Waterhouse has an interesting relationship to dissect here, but her songwriting doesn’t effectively communicate much about it beyond the surface.

Waterhouse has the ingredients for pop success: on the album’s better tracks, warm production makes her soft vocals twinkle in a way that is certainly captivating. However, the ultimate impact the album leaves is that it needed more time to marinate. Memoir of a Sparklemuffin needs deeper introspection, more consideration as to Waterhouse’s lyrical identity. (www.sukiwaterhouse.tv)

Author rating: 5/10