''Van Hunt'' is the debut album of R&B singer-songwriter

Van Hunt Van Hunt (born March 8, 1970) is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. He released his debut album, '' Van Hunt'', in 2004, and a follow-up, '' On the Jungle Floor'', in 2006, both on Capitol Records. He won t ...

, released on February 24, 2004, by Capitol Records. Recording sessions for the album took place at Capitol Records,

Westlake Audio Westlake Recording Studios is a music recording studio in West Hollywood, California. History Westlake Recording Studios was founded in the early 1970s by the American audio engineer Tom Hidley under the name Westlake Audio. Hidley was experi ...

Sunset Sound Sunset, also known as sundown, is the daily disappearance of the Sun below the horizon due to Earth's rotation. As viewed from everywhere on Earth (except the North and South poles), the equinox Sun sets due west at the moment of both the sprin ...

, Sage & Sound Studio, and Zac Recording in Los Angeles, House of Blues in Memphis, and The Sound Kitchen in Nashville. The album charted at number 38 on the US '' Billboard''

Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated ...

and number 14 on the ''Billboard''

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. The single "Dust" was nominated for a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

for Best Urban/Alternative Performance in 2005.

Composition

Music journalist

Will Hermes Will Hermes (born December 27, 1960 in Jamaica, Queens, New York City) is an American author, broadcaster, journalist and critic who has written extensively about popular music. He is a longtime contributor to ''Rolling Stone'' and to National Pu ...

notes "sublimely janky '80s synths and melodies that jab and slide" on the album's songs. ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

''s Ernest Hardy finds Hunt's vocal style similar to those of

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. T ...

Curtis Mayfield Curtis Lee Mayfield (June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer, and one of the most influential musicians behind soul and politically conscious African-American music.

, and Marvin Gaye, and comments that the album's music evokes influences such as

the Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developmen ...

Muddy Waters McKinley Morganfield (April 4, 1913 April 30, 1983), known professionally as Muddy Waters, was an American blues singer and musician who was an important figure in the post-war blues scene, and is often cited as the "father of modern Chicago ...

, and

Sly Stone Sylvester Stewart (born March 15, 1943), better known by his stage name Sly Stone, is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer who is most famous for his role as frontman for Sly and the Family Stone, playing a critical role in the ...

. Neil Drumming of ''

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'' perceives a lack of

melisma Melisma ( grc-gre, μέλισμα, , ; from grc, , melos, song, melody, label=none, plural: ''melismata'') is the singing of a single syllable of text while moving between several different notes in succession. Music sung in this style is refer ...

in Hunt's singing, writing that he sings "clearly and crisply and sav sthe crests and falls for the swirling synths, slick guitars, and percolating

bass line Bassline (also known as a bass line or bass part) is the term used in many styles of music, such as blues, jazz, funk, dub and electronic, traditional, or classical music for the low-pitched instrumental part or line played (in jazz and some ...

s." The album's subject matter is droll, stark, and confessional, and focuses on the pains of love, romance, and sex. Songs such as "Anything (To Get Your Attention)" and "Down Here (In Hell with You)" deal with dysfunctional relationships. On the latter track, Hunt asks "What would I do if we were perfect / Where would I go for disappointment?" "Highlights" has him musing on a failed affair, as he uses a metaphor: "Old lovers turned critics curse at you on the

silver screen A silver screen, also known as a silver lenticular screen, is a type of projection screen that was popular in the early years of the motion picture industry and passed into popular usage as a metonym for the cinema industry. The term silver scree ...

". "Precious" features a predominant Prince influence.

Reception

Ernest Hardy Ernest George Hardy (15 January 1852 – 26 October 1925) was a classicist and Principal of Jesus College, Oxford, from 1921 to 1925. Biography Hardy was born in Hampstead, England and was educated at Highgate School. He then went to Exeter Col ...

of ''

'' found the album to have "no duds" and stated, "Unlike his neosoul brethren,

unt The University of North Texas (UNT) is a public research university in Denton, Texas. It was founded as a nonsectarian, coeducational, private teachers college in 1890 and was formally adopted by the state 11 years later."Denton Normal School," ...

wraps his seamlessly quilted voice around wry, off-kilter lyrics; his skewed views on love and life are wholly his. ..The bar has been raised." ''

Mojo Mojo may refer to: * Mojo (African-American culture), a magical charm bag used in voodoo Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * MOJO HD, an American television network * ''Mojo'' (play), by Jez Butterworth, made into a 1997 film * ' ...

'' called it "a remarkably coherent and focused album" and stated, There's real substance and soulfulness to be found".

Track listing

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes. * Van Hunt – arranger, producer, vocals, guitars, bass guitar, drums, keyboards, piano * Jermaine Rand (guitar) *

Wendy Melvoin Wendy Ann Melvoin (born January 26, 1964) is an American guitarist and singer-songwriter, best known for her work with Prince as part of his backing band The Revolution, and for her collaboration with Lisa Coleman as one half of the duo Wendy ...

– guitar * Chris Whitehead (guitar) * Terry McMillen (harmonica) * Daryl Richards (alto saxophone) * Daniel Solammon isspelled as Daniel Solomon(tenor saxophone) * Curtis Whitehead (tenor saxophone) * Nolan Smith (trumpet) * Isaac Curtis (trombone) * Truth (Wurlitzer piano, Moog synthesizer) * Dwight Farrell (celeste) * Patrick Warren (Mellotron) * Larry James (drums, percussion) * Nick Northern (drums, percussion, background vocals) *Amy White – background vocals * Ta Ta (background vocals) * Andrew Slater – producer * Howard Willing – producer • Dave Way- mixing * Tim LeBlanc – mixing * Peter Mokran – mixing * Melissa Mattey – mixing

Charts

References

External links

*
Van Hunt
' at

Discogs Discogs (short for discographies) is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the ...

Van Hunt his own funky, soulful man
— ''

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''
Van Hunt: Player's Anthem
— ''

Vibe ''Vibe'' is an American music and entertainment magazine founded by producers David Salzman and Quincy Jones. The publication predominantly features R&B and hip hop music artists, actors and other entertainers. After shutting down producti ...

'' {{Authority control 2004 albums