Van Hunt

VAN HUNT
Capitol

If you think that too many neo-soulmen are obsessed with bedroom high jinks and not enough with mature relationships, welcome Van Hunt. The Atlanta-based singer-songwriter has crafted a delicious debut filled with songs about yearning, desire, regret, romance, and conflicted passion, with rubbery grooves that are irresistible. Hunt produces and artfully arranges each one of these 12 tracks that evoke old-school R&B without sounding hopelessly retro. The obvious touchstones are Marvin Gaye and Prince, among others, but Hunt isn't a slave to his influences and makes his own imprint. His voice is so buttery, you can gain weight just listening to him. "Dust" is a breezy pop nugget featuring slinky guitars, keyboard squiggles, and an instantly memorable hook. The airy piano ballad "What Can I Say" shows that Hunt understands that nuance goes a long way and the lush "Seconds of Pleasure" is late-night love music of the highest order. He also can get creepin' with the funk on "Highlights" and "Hello, Goodbye," which feature snaking bass lines and some of Hunt's best vocal performances. As a songwriter, he tries to make sense of the vagaries of love, at one point singing "What would I do if we were perfect/Where would I go for disappointment?" Indeed, Hunt isn't perfect, but this is a confident debut that should stand the test of time.

KEN CAPOBIANCO