Luke O’Hanlon’s ‘The River Only Flows One Way’ Is a Lyrical Masterpiece of Grief and Growth

A Voice from the Liverpool Underground

O’Hanlon, a seasoned presence in the Liverpool music scene (formerly of The Bottletop Millionaires and The Loose Moose String Band), has long embraced a DIY ethos. This album, however, is a new level of self-reliance and artistry—entirely written, performed, and produced by O’Hanlon over a two-year span. The result is a hauntingly personal project that feels like it was carved out of solitude and silence.

Luke O’Hanlon 's Website

With The River Only Flows One Way, Liverpool-based singer-songwriter Luke O’Hanlon has delivered his most emotionally resonant work to date. This third solo album is not just a musical collection—it's a mirror held up to the cycles of grief, identity, and the strange bends in time that we all encounter.

Influences that Echo, but a Voice All His Own

Fans of John Darnielle, Adrienne Lenker, Conor Oberst, and Phoebe Bridgers will feel familiar textures in O’Hanlon’s sound. Yet, his songwriting carves its own path—his voice, trembling yet sure, carries weighty reflections in verses that are as poetic as they are devastating.

Tracks ripple with imagery of water, stars, and scars, looping like memories that won’t quite settle. There’s beauty in the album’s melancholy, but also humour, and a quiet defiance in the face of loss. This isn’t wallowing—it’s witness. It’s survival.

Final Verdict: Quietly Devastating, Endlessly Relatable

Luke O’Hanlon has not only returned—he’s transcended. The River Only Flows One Way is a masterclass in raw honesty, stripped-down beauty, and poetic craftsmanship. It’s the kind of album that doesn’t shout to be heard—it waits, patiently, and stays with you long after the final note.

Grief, Growth, and Ghosts

Each song on The River Only Flows One Way feels like a conversation with the past—an elegy for who we were and a question about who we’re becoming. There’s a profound stillness in the production, allowing the lyrics to breathe and the emotions to land. From whispered regrets to half-smiling acceptance, the album cycles through grief, memory, humour, and hope.s reflection and emotional connection.