Charlotte Cornfield returns with her sixth album, Hurts Like Hell, an honest, diary-esque modern masterpiece. Laden with honesty, growth, love and awkwardness. With a new outlook on life since becoming a mother for the first time, a more open, less self-focused album is on offer here. A sincere perspective of what life has had to offer, and an anticipation for the future.
Whilst alt-country may not be everyone’s cup of tea, this piece of work is really like an audiobook of 10 short stories. A knack for having a unique turn of phrase, coupled with magical lyrics and sweet-sounding vocals, makes Hurts Like Hell a singer-songwriter dream come true. I really hope that this album does what Heartbreaker did for Ryan Adams some 25-plus years ago, and opens up the genre and Charlotte Cornfield to the masses.
This is an album that makes it really hard to pick standout tracks, but offerings such as Kitchen is quite possibly one of the most endearing songs I’ve ever heard. Eloquently describing the act of falling in love, with all the clumsiness and nobility. Lyrics like “you held my hair back while I was puking, I was pregnant, and I didn’t know it yet” are the kind of balladry that just repeats over and over, and I love it. Also, the song Squiddd, a song based on a fictional band that split after just one show, as Charlotte sings about the pull of a musician on stage. She cleverly relays the lyrics of Squiddd, “I want to share files with you”, making us wish we were at that same gig.
Hurts Like Hell is the kind of album that loops round and round quite easily. Suiting the change of seasons we’re experiencing, longing for those long summer days.