by Jonah Evans (@jonahinthesnow)
Timeless World Forever by Graham Hunt draws on the timeline of alternative pop music composition, as his songs create a timeless sensation, reincarnating threads of energetic sounds from today's music, the 2010s, the 2000s, and the 1990s. Hunt also forms a live sound through his layers of instrumentation combined with his slightly high-end, raspy voice. The record sometimes renders a sense of being in the room with him, which exemplifies the energy that the record is projecting into the world.
With the opening track, “I Just Need Enough,” the acoustic guitar is a perfect example how Hunt sets the baseline challenge of having the primary instrument carry a catchy, Beck-like lick. It hangs on the low end then hits a high note through a fun and short progression throughout the song. Followed by flute-like sounds, keyboards, big-spaced booming drums, and a sustaining, simple, and effective bassline, the song has a good pop groove and feels like summertime. During the chorus, the electric guitar swoops in with sustaining one-riff notes, allowing the song to keep its swinging sensation.
The drums in “East Side Screamer” have an electronic feel, with Hunt shouting in the distance, bordering rapping. In contrast to the first track, “Screamer” shows Hunt is deliberately trying to push the boundaries of our expectations of what instruments should be used to make pop-style music, mixing clear guitar melodies, prominent chorus, and tipping the scale over with the electronic-style drums during verses and clearly analog drum kit style drums during the chorus. His style demands curiosity, which speaks to an innovative voice that this creator is displaying.
“Been There Done That” features a beautiful keyboard sound that resembles an xylophone. Hunt’s voice pulls back here, holding on to sustained notes, a refrain from singing loudly and screaming, which pairs with the intrinsic, passive feeling of the idea of “Been There Done That.” There is a wispy acoustic guitar that haunts the background, and it’s hard to make out the distinctive notes sometimes, but it can still be felt, speaking to one part of the effective layering that’s done on many of these songs. Sometimes the layers are thin, and sometimes they’re thick, catering to the needs of each song's sound.
“Frog in the Shower” introduces more pop sensations, where Hunt distinguishes himself from the average pop song by incorporating a prominent waning horn in the first section, pulling and stretching and changing pitches, which contributes to the song's tension. The horn is present throughout the rest of the song, albeit faintly, demonstrating how the layers can be manipulated and used as echoes without being forgotten. Hunt’s vocals in this song are so dang catchy, with a melody that just hits. Ivette Colón and Logan Severson provide excellent harmonies throughout the song, helping to increase the feels, and the chorus is a good rock-n-roll electric guitar-starrer that rocks out.
Timeless World Forever by Graham Hunt is a record that demands a way forward into the future of pop music, of self-expression, and clues on how to push music forward into the unknown.