Suki Waterhouse is back with her long-awaited sophomore album Memoir of a SparkleMuffin following her 2022 release; I Can’t Let Go. If you are a fan of alternative or dreamy pop music, this is the album for you.
Waterhouse is a woman of many talents including acting, modeling, songwriting, and singing. She has been in multiple films including Assassination Nation (2018), Love, Rosie (2014), and her most successful work: Daisy Jones and The Six (2023), which won two Emmys.
Many people may ask, “what is a SparkleMuffin?” A Sparkle muffin is a recently discovered spider from Australia. In an episode of Emma Chamberlain’s podcast Anything Goes, Waterhouse says “…They do like a kind of mating dance, and if the mate doesn’t like the dance, it will eat the other spider. It was a metaphor for dancing for your life or for the public.”
The album is on the lengthier side, including 18 tracks and is said to be influenced by Arctic Monkeys, according to Rolling Stone Magazine. I Can’t Let Go had more pop influence whereas this one, has indie rock influence which makes it a personal favorite for me.
My favorite track from the album is “Lullaby.” This track is unlike anything we’ve heard from Waterhouse before. It has dreamy vocals mixed with soft instrumentals, making it true lullaby material. The lyrics discuss her troubles with sleeping when her partner, Robert Pattinson, cannot be with her. The pair have recently had some big life changes with getting engaged and bringing a baby girl into the world in April of this year.
A close second for me is track 10, “Big Love,” which was inspired by author Violet Paley’s stories of manic episodes in New York City bars. The song deals with trying to wrongfully fill the emptiness in your heart with love. It leaves listeners reminded that to be satisfied with other aspects in life, that you must first be satisfied with who you are as an individual; a message that is helped delivered by the background instruments.
Last on my top 3 is “Supersad,” an ode to ‘losing your mind and getting it back.’ This song is upbeat and catchy despite its lyrics about trying to pull yourself together while simultaneously being a mess. It’s a track that can be easily applicable to anyone’s life.
Memoir of a Sparklemuffin was a great success debuting at number 2 on the U.S Spotify charts and earning Waterhouse a gig opening for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in London. There are many more exciting things coming for fans including a tour starting soon which I will happily be attending in December! Personally, I cannot wait for future projects from the multi-talented Suki Waterhouse.
