In a storybook-like progression of life’s most intimate moments Charlotte Cornfield’s Hurts Like Hell harnesses an emotional clarity that lingers long after the music fades.
Charlotte’s first release since the birth of her daughter in 2023, it’s her most vulnerable album yet, offering a combination of poetic storytelling and subdued music that moves at its own pace.
Starting with “Hurts Like Hell” and ending with “Bloody and Alive,” each of the 10 songs explores themes of growth and reflection on life, through both the eyes of Charlotte and characters she introduces.
“Bloody and Alive” is by far her most vulnerable track, capturing the surreal feeling of holding your child for the first time. It exemplifies the growth in Charlotte’s work as it is fragile and beautiful, but in a devastating type of way.
Hurts Like Hell by Charlotte Cornfield
The album is beautiful in its simplicity, allowing the lyrics to stand out while having a more understated musical base. This allows the stories to resonate, making the whole collection feel very lived-in.
Parts of the project expand towards a more country feel, with a large presence of pedal steel and a little bit of twang. At moments it seems as if she is about to settle into the more country or americana genre, but then she switches gears towards a soulful folk sound, with many other genres weaving themselves in throughout the album.
The storytelling is the most drastic difference from Charlotte’s past works as it incorporates more voices and other characters instead of the personal narratives she has showcased in the past.
For example, “The Lost Leader” follows the journey of an older male musician who feels as if he is past his glory days and struggling to draw a crowd.
Hurts Like Hell touches on a broad spectrum of life experiences from love and loss to aging, uncertainty, and renewal resulting in a relatable and authentic listen.
It may not demand attention at first, but over time, its emotional depth and narrative richness reveal themselves, making Hurts Like Hell a subtle analysis of the challenges that each person feels through growth and change.
