A record that I’ve been pretty obsessed with recently is Rollin Hunt’s The Phoney (TMT Review). On that album, Hunt beautifully focuses on the minutia of everyday life and often renders it darkly humorous with lush arrangements that powerfully punctuate his wry observations. Even though Hunt’s songs on The Phoney are often subtly strange and sarcastic, the songwriter’s two new singles, “I Love You More” and “Whirlpool Girl” fully embrace these elements of his sound.
“I Love You More” is musically similar to the expansive arrangements on The Phoney, but Hunt’s manic vocal performance pushes the song into glorious Ween meets Mercury Rev territory as he croons and yelps the track’s alternately absurd/touching lyrics with equal parts sincerity and silliness.
Meanwhile, “Whirlpool Girl” (a collaboration with Aimee Goguen) is a delightfully goofy slice of bizarro synth pop that builds until it eventually collapses into hyper synth arpeggios. Where The Phoney often found ridiculousness in delicate moments, these two digital singles do the opposite and further illustrate the breadth of Hunt’s singular brand of pop.
• Rollin Hunt http://www.rollinhunt.com
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