I got lucky today, I discovered an artist that released A WHOLE SONG! Yeah! For those of you living under a rock, many upcoming talents release songs under 2 minutes and 30 seconds, which is fun sometimes, and very annoying after a while. I miss the days when you had a full 3 minute musical composition to listen to, enjoy, analyze, and make a connection with. It’s almost as if the Universe heard my internal rants and sent Hunter Root my way to pacify ME, and to share his incredibly artistry with YOU as well.
If I had to name someone off the bat to give you an idea about Hunter Root’s style, I’d say The Neighbourhood, one of the most successful alternative rock bands globally, or dark pop in their own words. Sleight of Hand feels like a warm blanket in front of a dimly lit fireplace. Or… a leather jacket on your back while leaving a party at 3 in the morning and you’re pondering on existential matters: ”We share the same frustration/ Nobody’s forcing us to stay/ This world is over rated/ I just can’t look the other way/ Now I could be mistaken”.
The instrumental is very laid back, with a nice touch of dark notes around 2:16 led by an electric guitar. The quality is unexpectedly hi-fi and a very well balanced mix between all the components of the song and the voice. Oh, and what a voice ❤ Hunter Root manages to reiterate the nostalgic vibes with every word sung, with every breath pause, with every vibrato wave. And it is truly impressive how he commands the beat. Hunter Root’s voice does not depend on the instrumental, he leads it. Beautiful.
And I also have to mention a quote-worthy line from the song: ”Can’t win if you’re to afraid to lose” Dang! Note taken! Another interesting visual painting comes later in ”Build a wall into the ground/ Put it back together upside down/ Circle the square for the rest of my life/ Stab me with a gun man I’ll shoot you with a knife yeah”, I imagine if one had LSD in their soul essence, THIS is how it would feel. ”Die and go to heaven, come back a ghoul/ Empty my pockets and fill them with air/ Get incredibly frustrated and still never care/ Can’t catch the sleight of hand” – the whole song is a psychedelic imagery integrated within a perfect rhythmic pattern, a sultry voice with just the right amount of guitar chords, drum kicks, and light piano notes.
Note: Special thanks to Spencer Martin for the master, and to Westernsun Media Design for the cover artwork.
Do the right thing and support Hunter Root’s music on Apple Music HERE, on Play Music HERE, on Bandcamp HERE, on Pandora HERE, and on Spotify below:
Article by Mariana Berdianu
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