New Music Releases: A Journey of Reflection and Nostalgia

Charlotte Cornfield’s fifth album, “Could Have Done Anything,” takes listeners on a journey through the open spaces and skies of the western United States. The Toronto-based singer-songwriter’s album reflects the joy of being on the road and among people after feeling claustrophobic during the pandemic. Her latest album is filled with imagery that conveys the serenity of open spaces, and it features nine songs with the clarity that bubbles up in the wake of upheaval. Cornfield recounts memories of friendship, heartbreak, and romance that are hyper-specific and intimate. The new album marks the end of one chapter of her life and the beginning of another, as she gave birth to her first child in April. The final coda of the album expresses the gratitude she feels for being calmer, stronger, and happier than she was before.

The album is forward-looking while also being a document of reflection, recalling the rootsy, bright-eyed sound of contemporary indie-folk artists like Waxahatchee and Hiss Golden Messenger. Cornfield penned the simple yet evocative lyrics of the album, inspired by her recent tour through the western United States. She sings over rounded piano chords on “Gentle Like the Drugs” about watching sunsets in Phoenix and the colours of the sky.

Cornfield’s album is a tribute to the joy of life on the road, which she said inspired the album’s creation. It’s a sentiment she drives home in the album’s final coda, expressing how grateful she feels for being calmer, stronger, and happier. “Could Have Done Anything” marks the end of one chapter of her life and the beginning of another, where she wants to honour the wildness of her past and how it informed who she is today.

Re reported from the story originally republished in Toronto Star