Montevallo Review *Revised*

   Sam Hunt is a relatively new artist that has been quickly thrust into the spotlight. A former college football quarterback, Hunt left his career as an athlete to begin a whole new life as a musician. His first album released in 2014, Montevallo, is difficult to fit into one genre. However that is what makes it so interesting. Hunt grew up in a small town in Georgia where country music had a major impact on him. However, he wasn't only a country fan. He also loved genres such as hip-hop and R&B, which shows in his music. Hunt also reflects the art of storytelling in his songs that is often seen in the country genre. Even his album title itself has a story behind it, it was named after a small town in Alabama that his ex-girlfriend is from. Many of the songs on this album contain spoken word sections that give the album a rap influenced sound, but also help in telling the story of his unrequited love.

               

The album starts off with the track “Take Your Time” which immediately introduces Hunt’s unique way of speaking intertwined with singing. You can tell he’s a sucker for romance right off the bat with this sweet, sad sort of song. All he wants is the girl of his dreams to pay him a little attention. His country accent that has a hint of a bluesy feel gave me the impression right away that this was a country album. However as the song approaches the chorus, it shows some influences of rock with the building guitar and vocals. Hunt accomplishes this feat throughout the album by integrating snippets of each genre all into the same song.

                Hunt switches direction on the second track on the album, “Leave the Night On,” which is the most popular and well-known song. To me, it seems to have the most pop influence. The major instrument that allows this track to differ from traditional country music is the drum, cymbal and bass heavy. It’s a feel-good song basically about staying out to party; something you would put on at a get-together to get everyone loosened up and having a good time. It’s corny, but that’s the whole point.

                Third on the album, “House Party,” follows the theme of partying in “Leave the Night On.” Hunt sings that he is going to “bring the good time home to you." It’s a fun and playful song that is very upbeat. However, two tracks in a row that do not provide any real substantial lyrics or deep thought starts to wear the theme out. In this aspect it is definitely geared towards more of a pop audience. 

                The album takes a sudden turn in “Break Up in a Small Town,” the fourth track on the album. Now this is a track that you could cry about a break-up over. It sounds genuine, probably due to the fact that it's based off an ex-girlfriend Hunt had. He starts off again with a speaking part, beginning to tell the story of how he knew he would see his ex around town, but never would have guessed she would “get down” with a friend of his. The hard-hitting drum beats add to his agonized tone, this track is when Hunt actually starts to sound like he has more substance to him.

                The next track is pretty self-explanatory by its title, “Single for the summer” which starts off with an electronic sort of feel. It picks up with a teenage angst with lyrics like, “I graduated but every year in May I get that school’s out feeling… and I’m drowning in the freedom.”  This song is my favorite off the album because of the different view it gives of Sam Hunt. It paints him as sort of the bad guy that is forgetting about the girl he truly loves so that he can go out and have fun. It is a carefree song that begs to be sung along to.

                “Raised on it” is the track that I believe has the most country feel of all the songs. It talks about growing up in a small town and how this shapes every day experiences, featuring a jumpy beat and prominent guitars. For anyone that lived in a small town, like I did, this song is very relatable. It's that loud barbecue night at the block party with your whole family: from the mailman to your baseball coach.

                Finally, the album ends with “Speakers.” Hunt starts off with a slow and deep voice. This song is about how Hunt feels out in the woods alone with a girl, which even though seems to be a familiar theme, Hunt is able to use imagery such as, “The engine is idling and girl this heat lightning is flashing
pictures of you and burning them in my head,” which would make any teenage girl swoon. His voice rises and falls with the beat, and it flows very well. 

          All in all, I would recommend this album. Even though it mainly focuses on common themes of country/pop such as love and parties, it is a feel-good album that will have you coming back for more. The mixture of genres works well together surprisingly, so fans of many different genres can appreciate Montevallo.