Suki Waterhouse — best known for her hit “Good Looking” — released her second studio album Memoir of a Sparklemuffin on Friday. With sounds alluding to ‘90s and early 2000s soft rock, the dream-pop album reflects Waterhouse’s effortlessly chic persona and classic tastes.
Memoir of a Sparklemuffin feels half-nostalgic and half-new, but all authentically Waterhouse. Through the album, the English model, actress and artist captures an essence of timelessness. Waterhouse could logically release the album anywhere between 1990 and 2024 and raise no alarm. However, the idealizing and almost-mimicking nature of an older sound borders on weakness, so the album ultimately doesn’t make significant waves in the grand scheme of music.
More of a buzzword than anything, “Sparklemuffin” references a species of cannibalistic spider, which Waterhouse said in an UPROXX interview reflects breaking free from webs of self-destruction. However, she loses this theme in the progression of the album. The meaning brought forth feels more abstract and shallow than intentional and bold.
Throughout the album, some of Waterhouse’s songs fail to hook listeners immediately. However, the opening track of the album “Gateway Drug,” draws listeners in. Feeding off this high, the following songs “Supersad” and “Blackout Drunk” attempt to recreate the spirit of adolescent angst, an homage to early rock inspirations. Songs like “Faded” and “Nonchalant” stay on brand with the dreaminess that characterizes Waterhouse’s previous music.
Its Beatles-esque quality and rhythm paired with the comedic use of a recorder makes “My Fun” a breath of fresh air on the album. Waterhouse’s angelic voice and dreamy melodies are chilling on “Model, Actress, Whatever,” the clearest look fans get lyrically at Waterhouse’s complicated life. Her lyrics flow from being bluntly literal, to cryptic and poetic — where she most excels.
The album feels a bit repetitive after the midpoint, partly because of the whopping 18 songs on the double album. Though the ambiance and catchy melodies of Waterhouse’s songs propel the album forward, some songs belong in a thirty-second beer commercial or safely in the background of a highschool party.
A few lulls and repetitive moments crop up, but Waterhouse grabs the listeners attention back with rock ballad “Big Love” in addition to the brief “Lullaby,” where Waterhouse’s soft vocals lull listeners back into her ethereal dream world.
Memoir of a Sparklemuffin feels like the quintessential cool-girl experience with its atmospheric chords, timeless essence and catchy melodies. At times superficial, it proves too abstract to be fully grasped or to cohesively capture Waterhouse’s experiences in a profound way.
3½ cannibalistic spiders out of 5
