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Soul deep Brit James Hunter - who possesses a "tight,
slithery soul groove" and a "sweet growl"
(NY Times) - will make his Hear Music debut with 'The
Hard Way.' The new album finds Hunter delving further
into the realm of deep soul on a set of all-original material.
'The Hard Way' was produced by Liam Watson (The White
Stripes) at famed analogue haven Toe Rag Studios in London.
The album will be carried in Starbucks company-operated
locations in the U.S. and Canada as well as traditional
music retailers and digital download stores starting on
June 10, 2008.
The instrumental palette is rich and the arrangements
sharpened for 'The Hard Way.' Allen Toussaint joins Hunter
on the sultry "Til The End," the rhumba "Believe
Me Baby," and the title track. The gorgeous Echo
Strings buoy "The Hard Way" and the romantic
"Carina," with accompanying pedal steel. The
jumping "Don't Do Me No Favors" is designed
for the dance floor.
The album resolves with the romantic ballad "Strange
But True," the first Hunter recording stripped down
to just vocals and guitar. The album also showcases further
evidence of Hunter's guitar prowess, his manic solos recalling
the fretwork of Ike Turner.
Hunter has extensively road tested the new album, crisscrossing
North America and Europe since his 2006, GRAMMY nominated
album 'People Gonna Talk' put him on the map. That album
took him from being "one of the best voices, and
best kept secrets, in British R'n'B and Soul," as
Van Morrison put it, to a major breakout success of 2006.
He opened for Etta James, Boz Scaggs, Los Lonely Boys,
and Aretha Franklin; reached #1 on Billboard's Blues chart;
and made several national television appearances. 'People
Gonna Talk; earned him critical acclaim as well, with
Rolling Stone calling it "a treat not to miss"
and USA Today raving about his "sublime soul."
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