Van Hunt
On The Jungle Floor

The most introspective cat since Maxwell is back and
as under the radar as ever. With 'On The Jungle Floor'�, the
second helping of the artist's ever expanding
landscape, we find his lyrics and musical tastes consistently
ambitious. Still quirky and distinctive, Van
Hunt continues to pave his own road, passed the likes
of the comparable Terence Trent D'Arby and the more
polished voice of Eric Benet.

He remains endearing and reflective, as
shown in jewels like 'The Night Is Young'�, a
thoughtful ode into how we evolve (hopefully) over the
years. Throughout the album, Van Hunt continues his
dominance over mastering contemporary melancholy in
R&B with that and other offerings like 'Mean Sleep.'�
Like Curtis Mayfield, his lines reach beyond simple subject matter or basic formats of rhyme as shown in the breezy 'Thrill of this Love.'�

The lyrics of 'Character'� stylishly question your
soul's resilience while the groove proves it is
designed for cruising through streets in the night,
when the manholes spew steam and people look you
in the eye only in passing. 'Suspicion'� (She Knows Me
Too Well) and 'Being A Girl'� showcases Van Hunt's
undeniable flair for understanding facets of the
female psyche.

'Priest Or Police'� has your boy delving into the
sexy groove that would have required no effort
to spit a Jamie Foxxx wanna-do-you-to-death steelo and
call it a wrap. Instead, Van Hunt veers into a story
of longing, joy and a constant quest to understand the
other half. Most who go this route wind up sounding
like girly boys damned to being dissed. Not this dude,
Van Hunt strikes you as a true philosopher (peep 'Hot
Stage Lights'�).

Van Hunt also goes deeper with the 80's rock vibe of
the debut album. Reminiscent of Prince's 'Dirty
Mind'� phase, 'The End Of A Slow Dance'� will make you
want to wear a skinny leather tie and pull your hair
over one side of your face until it blinds you in one eye. 'Ride, Ride, Ride'� will keep you in that vein, with a lil' late sixties, Jimmy Hendrix feel circa the Band of
Gypsies period.

The understated reception to Van Hunt's sophomore
offering is as wrong as XM radio's taking Channel 61's
The Flow off the mainline. Late Secretary of State
John W. Foster stated that 'one of the strongest
characteristics of genius is the power of lighting its
own fire.'� It appears Van Hunt's authentic offerings
are powered by a sense of dogged internal artistic
integrity. This is fortunate, because as a busted
toilet proves, you can't keep real **** down for long.

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