Novelist, songwriter, musician, and performer Robert Hunter is a unique multi-threat talent in an era when such talents aren’t plentiful. His willingness to tour both his latest novel Relapse and an EP Revival at the same time on the appropriately named “Relapse and Revival” jaunt marked him as someone to watch and he thankfully backs up the ambition with his new single. “Permanent” is the latest peak in a career that has so far produced three EP releases and two singles in a field of talented alt-country practitioners.
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Hunter and his collaborators deliver an arrangement that balances a light touch with mysterious but genuine gravitas as well. It’s no small thing for any song, any genre, to harbor such disparate elements and yet manage to hold them together. Hunter, however, has written a remarkably sturdy track punctuated with memorable melodic motifs and understated production sophistication.
It’s a song that sticks with you. Hunter’s lyric has significant rather than coming off as a collection of lines cobbled together to give him something to sing. It’s a crucial distinction separating his work from many others. His sense of economy is beyond question as well. “Permanent” doesn’t ever attempt biting off more than it can chew and, instead, focuses on serving up songwriting fundamentals capable of commanding an audience’s attention.
The recording has a warm sound without ever overwhelming listeners. He focuses on common instrumentation for the style but there’s no doubt that he finds his own voice through both the musical and vocal arrangements. It is familiar but distinctive.
Permanent
Listen to Permanent on Spotify. Robert Hunter · Single · 2022 · 1 songs.
It’s just a solid song. Robert Hunter’s latest single is certainly a harbinger of continued creativity and prosperity to come. He’s clearly interested in writing and recording songs that boast the quality of the song’s title, permanency, and this single has it. Many listeners will relish returning to the song hoping to pick up on details they missed out on the first time around and it’s the sort of performance capable of bearing that sort of fruit. We hear that less and less in these increasingly tumultuous times and, several releases in, it seems audiences can depend on him to provide that sort of experience.
There’s a wealth of riches present in this performance. It sounds like Hunter is really starting to find his stride as a lyricist, musician, singer, and overall performer. The confidence radiating from the track powers one of the best overall listens in its style that you’ll encounter in 2022. It heralds another memorable turn for a songwriter and performer who keeps getting better each time out and never forgets to entertain the listener while engaging their minds. Let’s hope this single continues opening new vistas for him and that he capitalizes on each one.
Clay Burton