This here, kids, is a remarkable piece of work. I went looking for it when I saw it pop into the digital single sales list. His album’s selling some units, too. So, I fire it up the first time and it’s a show-stopper, jaw-dropper. Sam Hunt’s vocal virtuosity is profound. It hit me the way hearing Brando for the first time did. He’s not just talking and singing, he’s inside the role. His first words, his voice grab at you and you gotta stop whatever else you’re thinking about and listen to him. That’s what this record’ll do to a lot of ears when they’re first exposed to it. It’s a big time ear-surprise. First impression of it is that it’s a rap record and mucho of our prime demo no likee that. But the impression faded right quick when it got going. It’s “almost” rap, but then, not really. He is communicating to us the way a guy would talk about this sort of thing with his close friends. It’s a very intimate record that way. And the production and the arrangement astoundingly interesting. Like, I’d listen to this music if the vocals were stripped clean out of it.
