Broadening one's horizons when it comes to life is always a good thing. Always "up for the challenge" of a new, unknown musician, I joined MattA75's "I'll Show You Mine If You Show Me Yours write-off hoping to be exposed to something that I'd normally not listen to. And in a way being paired with whisperscream wasn't that far of a stretch for me because I like a lot of what he's reviewed over the past year but I also am considered the "country review" guy here at epinions despite my eclectic taste for power pop, some hip hop and some soul (Hick hop soon to come). Van Hunt is the CD I chose from a list of other artists (to be frank, I expected to see J Lo or Tweet on my list but didn't). It was an intriguing CD for sure. I didn't know if I'd actually like the record or not.
For those who don't know who Van Hunt is, and that's probably most of y'all, he's a neo-soul singer who's whole album was inspired by his fathers crazy lifestyle, a lifestyle that saw Van following him around on various jaunts and also being present listening to the sound of the 70s that Van's father played while hanging out with friends smoking some "herb" and livin' "pimp" lifestyle. "Van Hunt" is a CD which takes a modern look at a lifestyle such as the one Van's father lived.
Leading off the album are the pimpalicious tracks "Dust" and "Seconds Of Pleasure." "Dust" is a call, over a funky rock beat, to be careful around him for he's close to the "edge" whatever the edge is supposed to be. This one was the first single. "Seconds" is a (pardon the pun) pleasurable song that reminds us that the often overlooked parts of our lives are often the best. The beat is a prince meets BB King sort of thing that recalls the past but never overtly apes it.
"Down Here In Hell (With You)" has an interesting title and it's also one hell of a track. The lyrics, satirical as they are, are true to life about how real relationships often work and how the best romantic times come after bitter arguments. "What Can I Say" is an American Idol ready ballad (one they'd butcher) that finds Van longing to keep "the moment" forever. "Anything (To Get Your Attention" is about as close to ripping off another artist as Van Hunt gets. The artist? Prince. If I didn't know better I would've thought it was the Artist himself.
"Her December" and "Who Will Love Me In Winter" are tracks near the end of the record and both are very good at creating atmospheric vibes, "December" with the latin salsa beat that makes it so danceable while "Winter" discusses what it's like to try to go for greener pastures only to realize that what you had was better than you thought it was.
After dissecting this record for a few weeks now, I've come to the conclusion that it won't ever be one of my favorite records but damn it if it isn't one that gets better with time. Van Hunt is definitely a talented artist who deserves to get a better shake than he's gotten. His self-titled debut album is much better than many people gave it credit for being and for that I thank whisperscream for foisting it upon me.
Because You Wanna Know
1. Dust
2. Seconds Of Pleasure
3. Hello, Goodbye
4. Down Here In Hell (With You)
5. What Can I Say
6. Anything (To Get Your Attention)
7. Highlights
8. Precious
9. Her December
10. Hold My Hand
11. Who Will Love Me In Winter
12. Out Of The Sky
Produced, written and arranged by Van Hunt.
Executive Producer Andrew Slater, Randy Jackson (yes, that Randy Jackson) and Van Hunt.
Released in April of 2004 by Capital Records.
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