Florida songwriter and artist Luanne Hunt compiles the warmest examples of her thoughtful style and the impressive evolution of her writing, with the wonderful seven-track album Miles & Memories.
Mood-setting from the outset and focused on simplistic story-telling, Miles & Memories as a title-track introduces an organic production with enchanting, delicate melodies, and poetic reflections on the journey that is life.
Piano and tambourine add a live, unplugged lead to proceedings, with subtle country twangs injecting further energy later on, and the vocals gather choir-like brightness for the key change during the final third. It’s a strong start, and the music is both humble and passionate – presenting a level of escapism and contemplation no doubt unique to each listener.
We Are Right To Be Concerned instantly lifts the mood and pace of the project, a folk and blues-kissed stomp of a story-telling track, with a captivating edge and a strong groove to really draw you in. A definite early highlight.
Balancing social commentary and personal anecdotes, the album contrasts moments of topical relevance with those that connect on a more intimate level. No Better Days is a fine example, and again presents a likable pop-rock groove and long-form verse melody to naturally differentiate itself from the rest of the set.
After this, country-folk instrumentation sets the bar higher still for the mellow and poignant to hopeful Common Sorrows. Then we move into the historical song The Vice – formerly titled He’s In Paradise With a Pair of Dice, written by Luanne’s late husband Steve. This post-four-minute work unites piano, strings and voice, and proceeds to celebrate its protagonist across a rich tapestry of voice and emotion.
For You Are My Dream, good vibes fill the room – the same instrumental tones but gifted a pop-rock bounce and plenty of positivity, as Luanne meanders through statements of gratitude and lasting, loving connection. The song has a huge chorus, nostalgic and perhaps traditional at its peak, but one of the project’s most catchy hooks regardless.
Closing things down is the wave-like rise and fall of the boldly relevant If You See Peace. A heartfelt and heartbreaking ode to the devastating turmoil of war, but also a hopeful nod to the possibilities that lie within global unity. The song builds up gorgeously, another choir of voices combined with excitable strings, as the central intention and warmth of the song reaches its crescendo.
Luanne’s political reflections are subtle yet effective, poetic and personal – vague enough to be accessed in a way that means something different to each listener, and they’re balanced out beautifully by the more directly familiar stories of love and togetherness. For all of these reasons, Miles & Memories is a pleasure to let play this year.
Find Luanne Hunt on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & her Website.
