·March 9, 2022·2 min read

OneNamedPeter – Hurts | Realistically Sad

OneNamedPeter is a British singer-songwriter based in Sussex, United Kingdom. Peter writes, records and produces all of his music. Moreover, he makes his own artwork and music videos which really defines him as an artist. Citing influences like Joni Mitchell, David Bowie, Kate Bush and Bob Dylan, Peter aims to achieve similar things. His latest album, Hurts is a very real album. With ten tracks and a run time of just over 40 minutes, it is certainly a journey.

Beginning the album on Hurts – Remix, we have a track that makes me reminiscent of 90s & 00s Britpop. The instrumental sounds vaguely similar to some tracks by The Verve. The drums are rather enticing, keeping you engaged. The piano and guitar work adds texture to the track with these light touches. The vocal layering is smooth, soothing and most importantly, makes you feel understood. Ghost is just as enticing. Everything in the track feels so surreal, but also soothing. The guitars in this track are more focused and driven, while the vocal work is a lot more dynamic. OneNamedPeter achieves an amazing choral effect leaving you with so many emotions.

Throw Me To The Fire is a track that slows things down even further. It feels like the kind of track you’d listen to when you’re wrapped up in the feels. It’s comforting, melancholic and hits the spot. OneNamedPeter really knows how to toy with your emotions, yet express accurately what you may feel. Similarly, with Cowboy Blues, his double-tracked vocals bring up feelings you may not realise you even have. His ability to understand the whole emotional spectrum of being hurt is just uncanny. It’s one thing to write about these emotions, but it’s another to actually express them.

Writing On The Wall is an absolute rollercoaster of emotions. It talks, mostly, about coming to terms with being hurt after putting all you have into something. It also talks about the pain that comes with it. Additionally, it reminisces the good things while also talking about the parts that are conveniently missed. Similarly, You Only Lent It kind of talks about the one-sided relationship. It mentions the invalidation, the gaslighting, and the trauma that comes with heartbreak. The song hits hard, talking about very real experiences. The instrumental track only accentuates these feelings.

Sweet Lie achieves a similar feeling. The title of the album is the theme of the entire album. Every way that someone can hurt you, encompassed in 40 minutes. You listen to songs like Sweet Lie and realise that these are things you experience in various kinds of relationships. However, it hurts even more when you experience exactly what OneNamedPeter sings about. There is just something about how he expresses everything so perfectly.

This entire album can be a source of comfort and trigger some harsh emotions at the same time. I think that it is a scarily accurate portrayal. Specifically, with how he expresses his insecurities and every emotion that goes into each track. For those of you that enjoy listening to music that makes you wallow in sadness, this is for you. If you’d like to explore more of such music, check out his Spotify.