ALBUM REVIEW: Harboring The Hurt I’ve Caused – Cory Wells
Singer-songwriter stuff isn’t really known for being dark however Harboring The Hurt I’ve Caused changes that as COREY WELLS clearly has some inner demons that he’s got to sing about on this brand-new album.
The album starts strong with the title track. It’s mainly an acoustic song with little instrumentation throughout but it builds and swells which is a nice effect. The drums are introduced in the second verse and keep a slow beat but really help the song feel grander in the chorus. Wells has a distinct vocal style that sounds like it would be perfectly placed as the frontman of a pop-punk band however it works well in this case and with this sort of music. Next track Gravity is a little more rhythmic and has more instrumentation featuring electric guitar riffs and some interesting hooks. The vocals are great again as they seem strained but held really well. This track is reflective and has some great lyrics even though the topic isn’t necessarily high concept or anything that hasn’t been done before.
Hopeless feels more like a STU LARSEN song with the pull-offs in the chords and the subtle slides. It’s a bit more theatrical however as the chorus hits hard with a full band and some more grand sections. Despite this it’s still mostly an acoustic track with just the guitar and vocals which is always welcome as this shows more talent and gives the autotune a rest. It doesn’t feel overproduced. Do You Like That You Love Me is a little change of pace as the song is a little faster than the rest of the album so far. It’s a bit of a typical love song but the guitar parts are faster and this track is heavier on the effects but it’s not too much as they’ve only been used sparingly up till this point.
Empty feels a little as if it is stepping away from the mellow vibes the album subtly sets up. It’s a lot more depressing and is a massive comedown. It’s a good song though as the guitar playing is on point as it has been throughout the album and the vocals are great. It’s just a little depressing when listening to the subject matter. It sounds like it would make MORRISEY proud. Reprise shows off some excellent guitar playing with accuracy and a proficiency which is not always an easy thing to do. It’s clear that Wells has an excellent understanding of his instrument and it’s this track that really demonstrates that as he changes tempo and switches from fingerstyle to strumming with seamless effort. The lyrics feel a little generic but that’s ok as this track is great more for the instrumentation and musical talent on display.
Long Long Time ends the album and it’s a bittersweet track. Starting slowly it builds up and the chord progression is just perfect. It’s a basic structure but that’s fine as it’s not meant to be super complex or high concept or experimental. This back-to-basics approach really pays off for Wells. The vocals are desperate and strained more as the song progresses and it finally ends on a single guitar strum.
Harboring The Hurt I’ve Caused is a very mellow-sounding album musically but full of depressing and darker lyrics. It’s kind of extremes at either end which some may say is a weird choice but in this case it works extremely well. Unfortunately, the album does start to sound a little generic toward the end as there little variation but if Wells were to suddenly throw in a reggae track that would feel so out of place and just be confusing so it’s not that much of a problem. Overall it’s a great album that is easy to chill out to or to actively listen to and reflect on.
Rating: 7/10
Harboring The Hurt I’ve Caused is set for release on March 15th via Pure Noise Records.
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