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September 6, 2011

SoulTracks Review:

Van Hunt’s career is the middle finger to all of the critics who say that the lyric in R&B comes in a distant second to the music.

Hunt released two albums prior to his latest, What Were You Hoping For. Both of those records – 2004’s self-titled debut and 2006’s On The Jungle Floor -- became platforms for one of the smartest lyricists in all of music.

A third record, Popular, got mothballed. However, that didn’t stop hard core Van Hunt fans (and there are quite a few of them) from hearing at least few tracks. Van Huntand On The Jungle Floor became megaphones for one of the funkiest artists in the game. A listener could put on a blindfold, point to a tune on either of those records and be assured of hearing melodies that got heads nodding and lyrics that put fresh pavement on that well-traveled road of relationships.

A true artist, Hunt always seemed willing to push creative boundaries. He could have easily stayed in the 1970s soul/funk vein that he mined for critical success on his debut. Yet, he expanded on that with On The Jungle Floor by adding rock and even a touch of folk.

Hunt demands more of himself, as well as his listeners, on What Were You Hoping For. The CD sports rock/funk cuts such as “North Hollywood” and straight up rockers like “Watching You Go Crazy is Driving Me Insane.”

The funky “Plum” – a tribute to the female behind - could have fit in nicely on Van Hunt. The love anthem “Eyes Like Pearl” finds Hunt dabbling in emo, while “Cross Dresser” is the kind of new wave jam that might remind some of Prince circa 1981. Tunes such as “Cross Dresser” and the title track show that Hunt is a top-flight wordsmith.

On “Cross Dresser,” Hunt sings about holding on to the memory of his lost love by wearing some of her clothes. “People aren’t as cool as the things they leave behind/I’m not broken hearted/Sometimes I wear her scarves on my head/Impressions improve with the passing of time/I don’t really miss her/Sometimes I wear her mink furs.”

“What Were You Hoping For” is a track that perfectly captures the tenor of our economically distressed time. This recession saw middle class people lose jobs and spend years looking for new employment. Those fortunate enough to land a new gig often saw their salaries plunge. Many had to downsize and were forced to acquaint themselves with a new normal. Hunt aims this track at the strivers who can no longer separate themselves from those less fortunate.

The sparse arrangement brings more urgency to Hunt’s insightful lyrics: “It’s the end of white flight/can’t afford to keep moving on/money tight/you’re begging door to door.” "Designer Jeans" is Hunt’s critique of identity politics where ideology, religion, ethnicity and sexual identity have become the new brands.

Long time Van Hunt fans know this is one artist who will not dumb it down. A Van Hunt fan can’t be a passive listener because an album like What Were You Hoping For can be an interactive experience, and those willing to step out of their comfort zones will be richly rewarded. Highly Recommended.

Reviewed By:

According to G

I am so excited that Van Hunt is back on the scene with another record. If you don’t know Van Hunt’s music, I recommend you remedy that immediately. His debut record, “Van Hunt” is R&B perfection.

His vocals, grooves and lyrics will impress fans of Prince and Curtis Mayfield. Van’s 2nd record “On The Jungle Floor” adds a rock and roll element to the mix. His 3rd album, the very experimental “Popular” was unfortunately never released officially due to record label disputes.

He’s back with his 4th (or 5th album if you count his internet only release “Use In Case of Emergency”) “What Were You Hoping For?” and you’ll be reading my comments as I listen to the record on my first listen. Van Hunt is on tour in the fall of 2011 and if you’ve never seen him live before, you must see him! He is so talented and creative, he always changes the arrangements of his songs – a quality that not only are very few artists to pull off these days but the fact is – most artists don’t even try.

1. “North Hollywood” – The album starts out with a funky rocker. Van Hunt is talking about his neighborhood North Hollywood and writing new tracks in this area. Favorite lyric: “the fastest way to a man’s pocket is on his rocket.”

2. “Watching You Go Crazy is Driving Me Insane” – Another fast rocker. Favorite lyric: “I went to my priest to beg the church for relief. He said they had bigger problems to address than me. I pressed my luck and asked for a cup of Jesus’ blood because it tastes just like grape juice.”

3. “Designer Jeans” – Psychedelic, spacey and funky! Van has some effects on his vocals and the track has a banging beat. Van mentions that his religion is Atheist. I knew I loved this brother! He talks about how people wear their prejudices like designer jeans.

4. “Plum” – Another spacey and funky jam that clocks in at 6 and a half minutes! There’s a great instrumental section at the end of the song.

5. “Falls (Violet)” – This song is a slow, country-esque track. Van says he’s “violet on the inside.”

6. “Moving Targets” – Another slow track. Van talks about how nobody can hit a moving target. It’s a love song too.

7. “Eyes Like Pearls” – The funk/rock which is very prevalent in this album is back! He talks about a girl with eyes like pearls crying precious tears.

8. “A Time Machine Is My New Girlfriend” – A garage rock track with a fast chorus. Favorite lyric “time is a play thing.”

9. “What Were You Hoping For” – The title track is mid-tempo. The chorus is very catchy as he says “Maybe that’s the mechanism to bring me closer to you. Tell me what were you hoping for?”

10. “Cross Dresser” - A funky, fast and rockin’ track. Van’s talking about wearing the clothes of his ex-girlfriend that she left behind to get to know her better. I think this song is an early contender for my favorite jam on the album.

11. “It’s a Mysterious Hustle” - The album closes off with a slow but funky jam. This is also a contender for my favorite track on the album. There’s no such thing as the “classic Van Hunt sound” because his music is very diverse, but I would say this song wouldn’t be out of place on his debut record.

I am digging this album. I am looking forward to hearing it more as it expands Van Hunt’s already large musical pallet. I think his fans will enjoy it as well and I cannot wait to hear this album performed live.

Identity said:

Reviewed By:where can i listen to it at??

According to G

I am so excited that Van Hunt is back on the scene with another record. If you don’t know Van Hunt’s music, I recommend you remedy that immediately. His debut record, “Van Hunt” is R&B perfection.

His vocals, grooves and lyrics will impress fans of Prince and Curtis Mayfield. Van’s 2nd record “On The Jungle Floor” adds a rock and roll element to the mix. His 3rd album, the very experimental “Popular” was unfortunately never released officially due to record label disputes.

He’s back with his 4th (or 5th album if you count his internet only release “Use In Case of Emergency”) “What Were You Hoping For?” and you’ll be reading my comments as I listen to the record on my first listen. Van Hunt is on tour in the fall of 2011 and if you’ve never seen him live before, you must see him! He is so talented and creative, he always changes the arrangements of his songs – a quality that not only are very few artists to pull off these days but the fact is – most artists don’t even try.

1. “North Hollywood” – The album starts out with a funky rocker. Van Hunt is talking about his neighborhood North Hollywood and writing new tracks in this area. Favorite lyric: “the fastest way to a man’s pocket is on his rocket.”

2. “Watching You Go Crazy is Driving Me Insane” – Another fast rocker. Favorite lyric: “I went to my priest to beg the church for relief. He said they had bigger problems to address than me. I pressed my luck and asked for a cup of Jesus’ blood because it tastes just like grape juice.”

3. “Designer Jeans” – Psychedelic, spacey and funky! Van has some effects on his vocals and the track has a banging beat. Van mentions that his religion is Atheist. I knew I loved this brother! He talks about how people wear their prejudices like designer jeans.

4. “Plum” – Another spacey and funky jam that clocks in at 6 and a half minutes! There’s a great instrumental section at the end of the song.

5. “Falls (Violet)” – This song is a slow, country-esque track. Van says he’s “violet on the inside.”

6. “Moving Targets” – Another slow track. Van talks about how nobody can hit a moving target. It’s a love song too.

7. “Eyes Like Pearls” – The funk/rock which is very prevalent in this album is back! He talks about a girl with eyes like pearls crying precious tears.

8. “A Time Machine Is My New Girlfriend” – A garage rock track with a fast chorus. Favorite lyric “time is a play thing.”

9. “What Were You Hoping For” – The title track is mid-tempo. The chorus is very catchy as he says “Maybe that’s the mechanism to bring me closer to you. Tell me what were you hoping for?”

10. “Cross Dresser” - A funky, fast and rockin’ track. Van’s talking about wearing the clothes of his ex-girlfriend that she left behind to get to know her better. I think this song is an early contender for my favorite jam on the album.

11. “It’s a Mysterious Hustle” - The album closes off with a slow but funky jam. This is also a contender for my favorite track on the album. There’s no such thing as the “classic Van Hunt sound” because his music is very diverse, but I would say this song wouldn’t be out of place on his debut record.

I am digging this album. I am looking forward to hearing it more as it expands Van Hunt’s already large musical pallet. I think his fans will enjoy it as well and I cannot wait to hear this album performed live.

At this point, I think this album is a bit too rock based for me.

In fact, "Watching You Go Crazy" is virtually a punk song.

Also I just thought I'd say make it clear that Van Hunt does NOT call himself an Atheist on this album!

He's just talking about how other people share their 'religious beliefs' online.