Following a Mercury Prize nomination for 2024’s ‘Early Twenties’, Cat Burns confronts grief and heartbreak with unflinching honesty on her second album. Across 16 tracks, ‘How To Be Human’ documents the loss of her grandfather and post-breakup devastation alongside the blossoming hope of new love, trading sonic ambition for emotional directness.
Burns’ greatest asset remains her vulnerability. Can Time Move Faster? pairs tearful spoken-word voice memos with glitch-pop synths and plucky guitars, transforming personal hurt into communal comfort.
When she sings, “I wish that time could move a little bit faster / ‘cause the days and nights feel like a constant disaster," the simplicity of her phrasing amplifies rather than diminishes the impact.
Similarly, I Hope It’s Me demonstrates her vocal prowess, layering choir-like harmonies and radiant strings while exploring the desperate hope that there might be some sort of reconciliation.
But between the tears and self-reflection, Burns delivers genuine pop bangers. Gemini shifts into Tame Impala-adjacent psychedelia with thumping percussion and playful swagger, announcing Burns’ readiness to embrace new romance. GIRLS! goes further, celebrating queer desire with nineties R&B grooves and Chic-inspired basslines that demand movement.
Album highlight Please Don’t Hate Me strikes a crucial balance, with its swirling synths and soaring strings frame moving on not as betrayal but necessity. This midsection proves Burns understands how to pace a record: she’s earned these moments of joy by refusing to skip the difficult emotions preceding them.
At times, though, Burns’ sonic conservatism prevents greatness. Too many tracks occupy familiar territory: All This Love trades in Ed Sheeran’s strum-and-bass formula, while I Wish You Well colours safely within conventional singer-songwriter lines. For an artist exploring such transformative subject matter — including her neurodivergent experience processing grief on the title track — bolder production choices would elevate authenticity into artistry.
But as a whole piece ‘How To Be Human’ succeeds because Burns never mistakes polished pop for dishonesty. This is an album that earns its 16-track runtime by refusing to skip the hard stuff, making it essential listening for anyone navigating loss. Burns has consolidated her strengths here, the next step is matching her emotional fearlessness with more adventurous arrangements.
Cat Burns Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Fri April 10 2026 - BIRMINGHAM O2 Academy Birmingham
Sat April 11 2026 - NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE NX Newcastle
Sun April 12 2026 - GLASGOW O2 Academy Glasgow
Tue April 14 2026 - BRIGHTON Brighton Dome
Wed April 15 2026 - BRISTOL O2 Academy Bristol
Fri April 17 2026 - BOURNEMOUTH O2 Academy Bournemouth
Sat April 18 2026 - MANCHESTER O2 Apollo
Sun April 19 2026 - LONDON O2 Academy Brixton
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