Hunx - Hairdresser Blues

I’ve been listening to this album for over a week or so, and I’ve been in odd places over quite a simple album. I am a fan of Hunx and his other work, so I had a bias when going into this solo release (and given that his main project is named after him too, I still haven't exactly figured out what made this album that ‘solo’). However, when I first heard the singles ‘Always Forever’ and ‘Private Room’ prior to hearing the whole album, I was skeptical. They didn’t catch my attention in any way in which I liked. Eventually when it came for me to review the whole album itself - Hairdresser Blues -my first initial impression was this: what a fucking lame-ass album.

I found it to be a very simplistic, under developed and lazily written album. The lyrics were formulaic, their delivery poor and unenthusiastic, the chords were not only simple but seemed to be rushed. The whole album just felt as if it was written in a day’s jam session, and just proved that Seth “Hunx” Bogart’s talents lied in being the icing on the cake of songs written by Shannon out of Shannon and the Clams (Hunx & His Punx’s lead guitarist).

However, it did grow on me. There’s a charm in Hunx’s slacker nature that eventually becomes endearing. And the album itself is very much a feel-good, summery album. It’s an album that you’d expect to be played over montage scenes in cool indie films about hanging out. I can imagine it being the misunderstood classic in Hunx’s catalogue in about 20/30/40 years time, that people gravitate towards. It’s not a perfect album, but it doesn’t try to be. And in fairness, I’ve listened to this album far more times than 'Too Young To Be In Love', H&HP’s last LP. So, what do I know?

Grab a copy of this album (it’s available on LP and CD from Hardly Art) and give it a try. It’s quite inoffensive and breezy. Although, it may take you 4 or so listens to think highly of it.

6.9

Eliot Humphreys