There’s no shortage of songs about heartbreak, but Sam Drysdale finds a few interesting ways to approach the subject on his debut full-length album, Purgatory Cove. Across 13 tracks, the Toronto-based singer-songwriter moves between folk, Americana, and alternative pop, exploring everything from the frustration of a failed relationship to the comfort of having good people in your corner.
The album opens with “A Place,” an ode to friendship and finding somewhere to escape the noise of everyday life. It’s a refreshing starting point for a record that spends much of its time unpacking romantic relationships. That contrast continues throughout Purgatory Cove, with Drysdale moving between songs about the people who have hurt him and those who have helped him through it.
Some of the album’s catchiest moments come from its more complicated relationship songs. “The Window” puts an upbeat spin on the all-too-familiar situation of ending things with someone while still hoping they’ll come back. “Cold Water” follows a similar approach, pairing a brighter sound with the lingering fear that you’ll never experience love quite the same way again. On “Conversations with No One,” Drysdale gets into the imaginary arguments and conversations that tend to stick around long after a breakup, making it one of the record’s more relatable tracks.
The mood shifts on songs like “The Astronaut” and “The Cage,” where the songwriting takes a more introspective turn. The former uses the image of an astronaut alone in space to capture the loneliness of searching for connection, while the latter explores the feeling of being trapped in your own thoughts. “Love You Into Loving Me” is another standout, tackling the difficult realization that loving someone harder won’t necessarily change how they feel about you.
Not every song centers on heartbreak, though. “Rusty Knight” offers a different perspective on relationships, suggesting that past mistakes and emotional baggage don’t have to prevent someone from being a good partner. “Boys” shifts the attention to friendship, while “Black Dog” explores the uncertainty of choosing a less conventional path in life.
The album ends with its title track, “Purgatory Cove,” a cinematic closer that brings many of its recurring themes together. After spending much of the record caught between holding on and letting go, there’s finally a sense of acceptance, even if everything isn’t completely figured out.
What works about Purgatory Cove is its willingness to explore heartbreak from several angles without making every track feel like another version of the same breakup song. There are moments of loneliness and regret, but also humor, friendship, and the occasional reminder that life keeps moving whether you’re ready for it or not.
