Burnt Letters is the second studio album by Australian singer and songwriter Taylor Henderson, released on 11 July 2014 by Sony Music Australia. The album is Henderson's first to be made up of entirely original songs, as his previous self-titled debut album consisted of cover songs. Recorded over an eight-month period, Henderson worked on Burnt Letters with a variety of producers and writers such as Louis Schoorl, Alex Hope, Hayley Warner, Jon Hume, Robby De Sa and Lindsay Rimes. Described by the singer as "a very raw and open acoustic album", Burnt Letters incorporates styles of pop, folk and country music. Lyrically, the album's themes speak of "family, lost love and longing for home."
Upon its release, Burnt Letters received generally favourable reviews from critics and became Henderson's second consecutive album to debut at number one on the ARIA Albums Chart. It was certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association, denoting shipments of more than 35,000 units. The album was preceded by its first two singles, "When You Were Mine" and "Already Gone". The former became a top-five hit on the ARIA Singles Chart and was certified platinum, while the latter only reached the top-fifty. Henderson promoted Burnt Letters with television performances and instore appearances. He also embarked on his third headlining concert tour, entitled the Burnt Letters Tour.
Background and development
Burnt Letters is the follow-up to Henderson's self-titled debut album, which featured re-recorded covers of the selected songs he performed as a finalist on The X Factor Australia. During an interview with Renowned for Sound in March 2014, Henderson confirmed that he had already begun work on Burnt Letters, stating: "I'm really proud of everything I've written for it so far. I think I've taken some risks with some of the songs, but everything has a lot of soul and depth." He later told Girl.com.au that the songs he wrote years ago were also being recorded for the album. Henderson worked on Burnt Letters for eight months with several record producers and songwriters, including Louis Schoorl, Jon Hume, Alex Hope and Lindsay Rimes, among others. After writing new songs for the album, Henderson presented them to Sony Music Australia and received good feedback from the label. He said "they were really impressed with the way I could carry a song and tell a story." Despite his music not being typical pop, Henderson revealed that Sony did not interfere with his "songwriting processes or tone" for Burnt Letters, admitting that the album is exactly the way he wanted it.
Music and lyrics
Described by Henderson as "a very raw and open acoustic album", Burnt Letters consists of pop, folk and country music styles. TV Week viewed the album as "a raw and revealing collection" with "themes of family, lost love and longing for home". Tianna Nadalin of the Geelong Advertiser wrote that it features Henderson's "signature brand of melodic folk, buttery vocals and heartfelt lyrics." In an interview with The Newcastle Herald, Henderson described the type of songs on Burnt Letters, saying: "There are songs that are fragile and some are your typical heart-throb songs." He further added, "There are no throwaway songs in there to bulk it up. Every song I've written there has meaning behind it."
The album's opening track "When You Were Mine" is a pop and folk song that incorporates influences of country music. Over a "laid back and intimate" production from Louis Schoorl, Henderson sings "about a lost love and wishing to buy back the time." Melissa Redman of Renowned for Sound noted that "When You Were Mine" features an "acoustic vibe", while Take 40 Australia and Mike Wass of Idolator compared the song to Henderson's debut single "Borrow My Heart" (2013). The second track "Already Gone" was also produced by Schoorl, and is a pop-country song that lyrically speaks about Henderson missing his home and loved ones. According to Marcus Floyd of Renowned for Sound, the fourth song "Brighter Days" contains "the typical 'I'm with you / You're not alone' pop mush you expect to hear from an ex-talent show contestant." The fifth song in Burnt Letters is the upbeat "Worth Fighting For", which was written by Jon Hume and Henderson. The pair also co-wrote the sixth track "Host of Angels", which is dedicated to Henderson's youngest sister. It is a piano ballad that talks "about the innocence of a child and how it can be neglected sometimes." Lyrics include the lines "But oh, I know you'll make it through, There's a host of angels watching over, over you, over you." Henderson initially started writing "Host of Angels" at the age of 15 and got Hume to help him finish writing the song.