A New EP from The Hunter Express Portrays A Blend Of Vintage, Pop Soaked Approaches and Plenty of Personality
A new EP release from The Hunter Express pulls together a slew of influences to create something that definitely lives within the walls of indie-pop but expands outward with psychedelic and experimental approaches, vast and spacious underbellies, and it's riddled with character, which is one of my favorite aspects about the entire thing.
When I say riddled with character, what I mean is that it's got honesty sort of embedded in its veins. This is a record that definitely tells some stories but does so through lyrics that are half metaphorical and half straightforward.
When you pick up on those stories, you become a part of them, and a lot of the record has the ability to pull you into the moment with it.
There's something incredibly authentic about this entire thing. The record definitely blends folk, plenty of that indie pop flow, and once more, that sort of experimental and slightly tripped-out pop as well, but they are all seamlessly woven into each other, and most songs delve in and out of those each time.
The record is called Gold Fades, and it certainly doesn't waste a lot of time with its first track, "Over Everything".
One of the reasons this single does a great job of introducing the record is because it does start displaying this emotionally driven honesty and intense sort of performance that still feels inspired by classics like Bob Dylan, for example. The song opens up, and he starts singing harmonies, accenting certain lyrics that exemplify the sentiment of the track.
Organs start coming in and giving you a bit of a riff or melody that ends up becoming sort of a hook. Soon, pianos are tracked, overlapping those, and everything becomes a bit more lush.
His vocal has this really light and quick sort of echo effect on it, but it adds a little bit of depth and emotion to the performance as well.
It's these layers of texture and tone that come together that really make the song special. It breathes, feels alive, and comes through with that genuine aesthetic.
The bass guitar tone is absolutely outstanding here and certainly pulls from super classic 60s and 70s tonalities, but works amazingly, simply because the whole record boasts those elements of vintage approaches and sounds.
As I said earlier, this is pulled from a slew of influences, and a lot of that is really classic stuff.
This track becomes sort of intense, a little heavier, cinematic, and really full-bodied.
I love how it starts in one place and grows into something totally different while still feeling connected and consistent.
By the end of it, there's a sort of sonic display that swirls around you, and by this point you are fully immersed.
Meanwhile, songs like "Easier" come through with a little bit more of a rambunctiousness, but not overdriven or over the top. It's just got swagger, attitude, and it's very cool aesthetic to it. Again, the bass guitar really drives the song and pulls everything together, giving it part of its coolness.
The vocals are the element that really also portrays a little bit more attitude. They're a bit more out there. He's reaching outside the box and giving you a fresh psych-pop feel, but it also has a lot of catchiness and elements of color to it as well.
This whole record has a sort of magical way of almost naturally bending and blending genres.
Having said that, aside from the folk element, a lot of it is strictly under the pop umbrella. Of course, as I mentioned earlier, there is a lot of rock in here too, but even that has pop sensibility attached to it.
This is a pop record. It's just a certain kind of pop record.
It's the kind of record that is built with fewer walls built around it, so you have that honesty and personality oozing through, but you also have instrumental hooks, memorable choruses, and lyrics that are performed with that emotion that sort of pulls you into them.
One of my favorite tracks on the record is actually the closing one. It's also the title track, "Gold Fades", and he digs a little deep on this one, which is something I really liked because, again, he tells a good story and does so from a personal perspective, which pulls you into the music.
This is also a track that represents a lot of that more stripped down feeling folk element. You can hear a lot of heavy-handed folk coming through here along with hints of Americana, and of course, the song grows. It becomes a bit bigger; percussion comes in, the bass line kicks in. A lot of the stuff starts in a subtle place and ends in one that's slightly more intense.
All in all, this was a gorgeous record. There's a certain kind of elegance that exists between the walls of it all. The performances are graceful and feel so real.
This was a very emotionally backed piece of work, and I suggest listening to it all the way through from start to finish, all in one sitting.
Another thing I would suggest is to listen to the record with headphones on. Then you end up sort of swimming through these songs. It's not just about having a lot to chew on, but rather having a lot to swim through. These beautiful layers that come through; the way songs build and grow, expand and get bigger.
All of this is best soaked in with headphones on your cranium. You have to trust me on this one.
It's the best way to experience the full EP.
So, without further ado, stop reading and start listening.
Remember where you heard this first.
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