So I have been trying to compile my thoughts on Sam Hunt's return with his sophomore record. How can you follow up a Juggernaut? With an iconic, and overrated, character like Deadpool? This reference may seem to be incorrectly utilized, but there is a similarity that these two sets from different media possess; the sequel is good, but not the same as the original. I do not despise Deadpool either, I just recognize that maybe he is held a little too high.
"But we don't want that! Do we?" No. Was the sequel as good as Merc with a Mouth's first official Cinematic Experience? It's all subjective, but it was good enough to stand on its own two feet.
Based on the usual schedule that occurs with artists, "2016" was the projected release of Hunt's next crossover smash, or juggernaut if you prefer( or would you prefer I say Deadpool?) but instead it became the title of the vulnerable opening track that may have revealed why the wait between records was so long. Life waits for no one, but that cannot be said for loved ones. However, they can only wait for so long.
It's not that we weren't treated to new music from Hunt a la carte over a several year period before the full record. The most recognizable and biggest hit that came from it was "Body Like A Back Road." I read that part of why he released songs years before the album was finalized was because he wanted to release songs that were relevant to him at the time of their release, instead of waiting until he had a full tank of tunes to drive his loyal fans wild. If that's the case, had he already found someone Pre-Valentine's 2017?
I didn't even know that "Downtown's Dead" was a single, but I can see why it was, and it does tie in to his single release philosophy and recalls the opening track. Was it someone else then preventing Hunt from painting the ghost town red?
The pain of unrequited, or lost, love can be "Hard To Forget." While there are some more upbeat songs off of his first record, this selection sounds upbeat, although it deals with an ubiquitous affliction when it comes to love and everyone's journey in it. Everyone's path is different, but there is at least one breakup where that person cannot be erased from memory, or their impact disregarded, and the focus of "Drinkin Too Much" reveals to be Hunt's. Also, the hook of the former is pretty unforgettable too.
It is nice to have a song like "Kinfolks" to balance out a song that bears the painful realization that "Nothing Lasts Forever," which depending on the situation is also subjective. The love of , and shared between, family and friends can remain with us, even after they pass. Those same people that may assist one through that heartbreak in various ways, such as late night assurances that the break up was better for the person , or suggesting to avoid tactics in "Ex To See" from Montevallo or avoiding actions found in the same track number on this album because "That Ain't Beautiful," or worth the effort.
"Breaking Up Was Easy In The 90's" sounds like it could be the sequel to Hunt's major hit, "Breaking Up In A Small Town," While the former may have been easier, breaking up was still difficult to do, social media just complicated the process.
So now how does this record stand? Well on its own, and appreciated for what this record is and not what it could have/should have been.
