Suki Waterhouse, “Memoir of a Sparklemuffin.”

It’s been an eventful year for Suki Waterhouse. The English singer-songwriter and actress became a first-time mother, performed at Coachella a few weeks later, opened for Taylor Swift in London, and now she’s back with a sophomore—double!—album, Memoir of a Sparklemuffin.

From the get-go, her first LP since 2022’s I Can’t Let Go is a whirlwind of feistiness and soul. Pre-release single “OMG,” co-written with Ttrruuces’ Jules Apollinaire, set the precedent by commanding attention with its dreamy ’90s-inspired guitar and keyboard riffs as Waterhouse navigates being stuck in a vicious cycle of codependency. Her inability to break free of an unhealthy relationship takes over.

“Oh my god/ Take me back the way that I was,” she cries out. Despite the subject matter, there’s a liveliness to the song that hints at the cycle being broken.

The album gets its title from the colorful sparklemuffin spider, known for its funky mating dance by males, with the females sometimes eating potential mates if they’re not impressed. Waterhouse has said it’s “a metaphor for the dance of life we’re all in.” The album does its own funky dance, and yes, at times it plays like a diary.

“Supersad,” the second of 18 tracks, recalls the haziness of Best Coast or Mazzy Star with its effortless blend of surf pop and lush instrumentation that’s joyful on the surface but with darker lyrical undertones. Waterhouse’s voice pours out like honey as she croons, “Swear to God, I’m over being so damn scared/ I look so much better when I don’t care/ Could be the worst night I ever had/ Lose my mind, always get it back.”

The following tune,“Blackout Drunk” is more keyboard- and percussion-heavy, but follows a similar tone, serving as a warning to a lover caught straying while under the influence—to a doo-wop melody.

The album is about relationships but not always about lovers. There’s a heavy emphasis on the relationship Suki Waterhouse has with fame and with herself. On “Model, Actress, Whatever,” an ethereal acoustic ballad, she cynically reflects on celebrity culture.

“All of my dreams came true/ The bigger the ocean/ The deeper the blue,” she sings. “Could’ve Been A Star” continues that narrative, but this time detailing a relationship in which her career success ultimately becomes its downfall. She shows she’s not without her demons.

“Lullaby” continues the dream-like trance, with a beautiful and angelic keyboard and guitar melody. The aura is heavenly, but once more, there’s a story to be told about insecurity in a relationship that creeps up in the middle of the night. “Dream baby dream, you say/ Turn out the light/ I’d wish you’d always stay/ Sleep through the night,” Waterhouse muses.

“To Get You” takes on a more of a country twang. Waterhouse keeps listeners on their toes, as halfway through the vocals get added reverb that twists and distorts her words before bringing the vocals to the forefront. “Lawsuit” at first feels like a ballad—something at which Waterhouse clearly excels—before the instrumental breaks out in a flurry of tambourines, drums and guitar.

“Good luck with that lawsuit, baby,” Suki Waterhouse cheekily sings over the barely there piano beginning.

Besides Apollinaire, the album was produced by Eli Hirsch (courtship.), Jonathan Rado (Weyes Blood, Father John Misty, Beyonce), Brad Cook (Bon Iver, War on Drugs, Snail Mail), Greg Gonzalez (Cigarettes After Sex), Rick Nowels (James Blake, Lana del Rey) and Natalie Findlay. They deserve credit for keeping these songs varied.

The emotions ebb and flow but it’s not all doom and gloom. On the final song, “To Love,” destiny brings two souls together. Waterhouse signs off with gratitude that she reached where she is now.

“As we watch old lovers we dodged/ While the world’s falling apart/ You make it so easy to love,” she sings. Earlier in the album, “My Fun” recounts uncomplicated sweetness over a jangly folk bop. “God, it feels good to find someone/ … Who loves me like I love my fun,” she coos.

Just as the sparklemuffin’s dance, life leaves us dancing with our chaos. It does well to embrace and enjoy every moment of it.

Follow writer Vera Maksymiuk at Twitter.com/veramaksymiuk.