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Written by Laura Hamlett Tuesday, 13 May 2014 20:16

I can’t put a label on it—and that’s not a bad thing.

 

 

Imagine if Bruce Springsteen stripped away the guitar and driving drums and instead sang over a piano, tambourine, and gentle beat, and you’ve got an idea of Hunterchild’s first track, “So Bad.” The piano is front and center on “Part Time,” introducing the song before it gives way to Luke Aaron Jones’ double lead vocals and backing falsetto. “Aching” is almost a slow soul jam, with layered backing vocals that make me visualize a crowd on stage. “Hunter” is perhaps the band’s anthem, with scratchy vocals delivering a promise of love. There’s a burning funk underbelly to “Work You,” which is perfectly placed as the fifth track of 11; up next, “Fantasy” maintains a slow smolder throughout.

I’m in love with Jones’ falsetto over the relentless keyboard line of “Time Traveling Lover”; this one is definitely the song of the album. With its swirling synth, “Alone” reminds me of a slower, soulful ’80s New Wave track. “I just want to be good for you,” Jones sings earnestly on “Secret Messages.” After the quietly tribal “No Anchor,” Hunterchild wraps things up with the swirling “How It Feels.”

I’ve listened to this album numerous times and I still can’t put a label on it—and, I’ve realized, that’s not a bad thing. Of course, that means it doesn’t allow for easy categorization, which is often the way people find new music, but it’s nonetheless interesting and engaging. Why try so hard to define it when you can just enjoy it? B- | Laura Hamlett