An artist whose music resonates with me more than that of most contemporaries, I have quite the soft spot for Holly Humberstone. Even as a freshly turned thirty-year-old man, I’m not ashamed to admit that her gloomy, indie pop stylings have been a good chunk of my soundtrack to a few long Montreal winters. Now with the summer season in full swing, and a new album under her belt, I was excited to see what she would bring to this headlining tour, and its Montreal stop. Three years after discovering her by complete chance at a music festival stage, it was time to learn how she’d make Theatre Beanfield her own.
Humberstone’s band got into position among the few decorative hills and gravestones that were part of the set design. The sound of the string and synth bass-heavy opener of her new album accommodated their entrance, and sounded massive through the venue’s PA system. Holly walked out to minimalist follow-up synths buried under loud screams reminiscent of what I’d hear at pop concerts in venues ten times Beanfield’s size. The white-and-lavender colour combination of the lighting and her dress, while being surrounded by a gothic aesthetic, perfectly suited the melancholic poptimism found throughout her music, and matched the visual promotional material of her latest record. Her opening three-song run mirrored the track list of said album, Cruel World, which was the focus of the evening’s setlist. It was delightful to see that many fans singing along so passionately to the album’s deeper cuts, despite them only being a couple of months old. As a massive Paint My Bedroom Black fan, I was a bit disappointed that only two songs off the 19-song setlist were from that album; I hope she revisits a good handful of those songs on future tours.
Holly continued to perform for an enthusiastic audience that was cheering on her every move, occasionally with an acoustic guitar in hand, strumming familiar chord progressions disguised under subdued instrumentals and emotionally vulnerable lyrics. Her shy, timid voice was at the forefront, breaking through the mix, but often struggling to be heard between songs over her fanbase’s passionate cheering. Some momentum felt lost in the moments she chose to speak some half-rehearsed lines to the crowd, yet they felt very genuine and in tune with her character. Her band did a phenomenal job of picking the energy right back up after those moments. That same energy is one of the things that hooked me to her Electric Picnic set in 2023. Those musicians occasionally pushed her music to a power pop, or even a post-punk sound, and certain songs in her set delivered this time around in that same vein as well. Songs like Red Chevy, Drunk Dialing, and The Walls Are Way Too Thin sounded fantastic with a bit more grit behind them. The backing band was excellent, with the highlight being Holly’s lead guitarist. His energy was infectious, and despite being a phenomenal player, he went above and beyond to get the crowd into things, as he stood tall on his riser behind Humberstone, sometimes commanding more attention than she was.
With a very passionate encore chant, which was followed by a piano-forward arrangement of her song Lucy, and her band returning to close things out with the song Scarlett, the set came to an end. As blink-182’s I Miss You played over the speakers to usher the hundreds of fans home, my takeaway was nothing but positive. It’s exciting watching an artist grow and evolve in real time, and I hope Holly continues on this trajectory.
Support came from Diva Smith
Review – Mathieu Perrier
Photos – Steve Gerrard
