From his latest album, What You Were Hoping For?, is the first video for “Eyes Like Pearls.” Van Hunt says the lyrics to the song came from, ”finding a monster living inside of a girl I was hanging with – and falling in complete, primal love with her. Finding out who someone is – why they are the way they are – and turning their scars into a reason to change my life.” These are the things I love about Hunt‘s vivid songwriting. Somehow, someone’s chaos can give him rectitude. The video shows a man and a woman as they wonder about, deep in thought focusing on their eyes.
If you haven’t purchased What You Were Hoping For? yet, I suggest you do. It’s an electric ride of discovery with profound lyrics that make you go, “Hmmmm…”
During the summer,Van Hunt started peppering the internet with songs leading to the release of his fourth studio album,What You Were Hoping For? And it is exactly what was hoped for and quite unlike anything he has released to date. Vocally, it is very Van Hunt, but musically he delves deeper into his dance with rock, skirting into the sound of punk music in places. If Sid Vicious was able to sound melodic during his time with the Sex Pistols, then Van Hunt is who he’d want to sound like. The era of his debut album back in 2004 has been left at shore while Hunt is riding the waves of freedom, with his roots in blues and funk firmly planted in cargo.
What You Were Hoping For? is his most daring project, lyrically eclectic, less about love and feelings and more about human conditions, such as the funk based “Designer Jeans” where he talks about people who hide behind or even squeeze inside labels, where he sings, “I know it feels more comfortable inside your status symbols.” On “A Time Machine is My New Girlfriend,” Hunt correlates a relationship to a time machine, where the courting part of dating is the time machine bomb about to go off, and perhaps when the machine ticks and explodes, is the point when it turns into love, and all the games of uncertainty cease. The most tender part of the album is the ballad “Moving Targets,” where he sings of a conflicted relationship he can’t seem to hold onto, and gently sings, “Moving targets are so hard to hit but tonight I got you in my sights, I can’t miss.” Sonically, What You Were Hoping For? is an adventurous journey containing impeccable songwriting which paint vividly, yet real stories. With each listen, your sensors latch onto something new. Check out a couple of songs below, then head over to iTunes or Amazon to get yourself a copy; you deserve it!
Visit VanHunt.com to find out when he will be performing in your town!
About a week ago, I was in the mood to hear some Van Hunt, wondering when his next album would be. Then a few days later, an email hits my inbox from his PR informing me of the aforementioned track “June” and a new album what were you hoping for? is on the way. (I only wish I had this kind of hindsight for D’Angelo!). ”June” reminds me of vintage Prince, simple in formation, with a whimsical and mellow flow that’s perfect for summer days. what were you hoping for?, his third studio album, is scheduled to release September 29th. Looking forward to hearing it, as he always has a fun way of giving us real funk, soul, with a hard twist of rock. You can get the free download of “June” below.
“June”
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
With the slow death of the recording industry, artists are truly utilizing the web to get their music out there. With his latest release Use in Case of Emergency, Van Hunt a few days ago, sent a message to his MySpace friends, presenting the album as a birthday gift. UICOE is classic Van Hunt, with his signature cadences which harken back to the sounds of Sly Stone, Curtis Mayfield, and Prince with some of that rock infused soul and funk. There are a couple of re-workings of past songs as well (two versions of “Attention” and “Man of the Year”), but it’s a good teaser before the proper album, coming later this year. He’s giving away 2 free downloads from VanHunt.com and the album is available for purchase through the site. Check out Use in Case of Emergency in the media player below.
The music provided on this site is meant for reference purposes only. Downloads are temporary and for the promotion of artists work. Muphoric Sounds strongly supports purchasing and procuring music legally. If you are an owner of any content on this site and wish to be taken down, please email us at info @ muphoricsounds dot com.
