Review : Van Hunt + Video and Audio

The 28-year-old, Atlanta-based Van Hunt wrote, produced and played on all songs on this debut. This make it even more tempting to compare his release to Andre 3000 and Raphael Saadiq's offerings, however both his consistency and musicianship deserve accolades all their own. Throughout the tracks, there are traces of his impressive, earlier work with Dionne Farris, Cree Summer, Joi, and Rahsaan Patterson.

Van Hunt dedicates his disc "to the pimps, ho's and hustlers for whom I strive to provide background music." And it serves that purpose perfectly. Van Hunt's account of his father's days as a part-time pimp in Dayton, Ohio also captures the overall flow of his debut:

"I loved watching him take a lady into the back room, loved seeing the door close behind him, and I loved listening, straining with all my might to hear the strange sounds that followed. Sometimes, after they'd finished, I would sneak into the room and wonder what in the world could have caused such a smell - a heavy bitter mix of sweat and perfume. But, I loved it. I loved sitting in the corner of a smoke filled dope house, tapping my feet to the music while my father and his friends cussed each other out over a game of cards. It seemed to me the beat of the drums urged on their behavior, and drove the alcohol that flowed through their veins out of their bloodshot eyes. Guitars and horns percolated and made their hands tap out the rhythm uncontrollably, '1-2-3-4.'"

And yet, Van Hunt is very much in control - at times, perhaps too much in control. While Andre 3000's much praised The Love Below comes off a bit schizophrenic, Van Hunt makes an equally frustrating move by not letting loose often enough. Possibly this is the tradeoff of working with a major record label. Van Hunt takes songs to the verge of genre-splitting explosion, yet often regulates the effects to a fade out as if he's unsure of the diversion. Nevertheless, the layers of melodies, keyboard effects, guitar bursts, and delicate vocals are undeniably fresh, if sometimes a bit subdued.

Highlights include "Dust," the neo-romantic "Down Here In Hell (With You)," "Precious" (with Wendy Melvoin on rhythm guitar), and "Out Of The Sky;" although, there's not a bad tune in the lot.

And perhaps that's exactly the point, because the disc quickly becomes infectious, begging for the listener to pay closer attention to the underlying passion; much like a young buck trying to hear the cries of passions behind a closed door.

To learn more about Van Hunt visit www.vanhunt.com

Check out some of Van Hunt's music and his video...