I've been a stan of Van Hunt's ever since his self titled debut in 2004 and his music has taken quite the trajectory from conventional R&B, to neo soul to rock to funk. Quite the genre Rebel, I liken Van Hunt to the R&B equivalent of Bjork (the very title I would categorize myself in had I explored my musical inclinations) in that his music tends to take you to the left and out of your audible comfort zone. This statement couldn't be more true about Hunt's latest offering "What Were You Hoping For", a hodgepodge of rock, punk, and funk that upon first listen can leave the listener feeling a little bit "hung out to dry" but once you get past your expectations of Hunt music, what you find here is a treasure chest of gems that fly happily and subtly under the radar.
Hunt's latest offering is truly a surprise for me. Off my radar for quite some time, Hunt has been dropping buzz singles here and there for the better part of a month or so, but it wasn't until last week that I thought to dig a little deeper and see what this cat has been up to an low and behold, the "buzz" was not all for not. Hunt's labels woes have been well documented as his move from Capital to Blue Note wielded the ominous "Popular" - an album that was shelved and later rediscovered as an underground relic for true Hunt vans. Hunt has been on record as being "devastated" by the shelving of "Popular" and seems to disappear from the landscape all together after that fallout. But the music in him has not died and it appears that Hunt has come back with a vengeance with his latest offering "What Were You Hoping For" - his clever, trippy, rebel song and middle finger to the recording industry.
If you are a fan of Hunt, then you are also a fan of the personality and wit that exist in his music. And "Hoping For" brings this trend to a rousing new level. Hunt's latest has been categorized as "darker" than his previous offerings (and it is) but in providing the proverbial middle finger to all his haters, Hunt has pulled a rabbit out of his hat and completed a nice bit of magic in subverting his audiences expectations. Song titles like "Cross Dresser, " "Watching you Go Crazy is Driving Me Insane," and "A Time Machine is My New Girlfriend" have you looking at Hunt a bit sideways, but once you dive into these offerings and get immersed in Hunts fusion of punk, rock, and country (yes country), then the offering start to border on brilliant.
"What Were You Hoping For" admittedly take a while to get use to. I have to admit, when I first heard the album a couple of days before its initial release I gave it a passing listen and then a swift dismissal as a "humph" album. But once you take the time to see what Hunt was going for, and you let the production wash over you and his lush, rich vocal arrangements, then its hard to resist "Hoping For's" charms. Van Hunt's growth as an artist is admirable, the way he challenges his audience is greatly appreciated, and I can't wait to see where this chapter takes us on his musical voyage.
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