Shane Hunt: Another Awkward Silence Between Friends EP

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Title: Another Awkward Silence Between Friends EP

Basics: I'll admit that I chuckled upon seeing the name of this particular EP. Now, that's not necessarily a bad thing. It's perhaps one of the most ingenious, cleverly-titled EPs I have received thus far, so bonus points for making me smile, rather than dread, whatever music I was about to hear.

More bonus points for having the tracks, artist and album title all show on Gracenote upon putting the CD in my computer. So far, so good, Shane Hunt. So far, so good...

Best Song: Gracenote also labelled the EP as "Country & Folk," which I find to be a fair representation of Hunt's style. There's a good amount of acoustic guitar to go with his contemporary country/melodic pop singing style. In fact, I hope you love acoustic guitar, because that's all Hunt brings to the table with Awkward Silence. No percussion, no bass, no backing band -- just him and his guitar. The song that best captures this aesthetic is "Revolver," the EP's third track. He's had two songs, if you will, to warm up, and Hunt really hits his vocal stride with "Revolver," even daring to hit a small falsetto during the chorus. Gotta love that.

Worst Song: "Just Another Star-Crossed Tragedy" fails to evenly capture what it is Hunt does best. It's got all the elements there, they just don't quite mesh together. Hunt's vocals are at their most ambitious here, but it comes off as trying a bit too hard -- as if he's trying to overcompensate for a rather bland song.

Suggestions: Put together a band around the guitar playing and vocals. I'd be surprised to really hear Hunt's sound fleshed out in full. He has the singing chops to pull it off. Awkward Silence is a good enough effort to merit a drummer and some bass. I know this is all easier said than done, but you never know how it all might turn out unless you try.

Grade : B-

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