With his release of "Come Home," indie folk author Matthew Robert Hunt welcomes us into a quiet, charged room where storytelling and harmony intertwine. The principal single from his forthcoming sophomore album marks a mature evolution in Hunt's craft, one that is self-assuredly reliant on weakness and proximity.
"Come Home" immediately establishes a familiar and genuine world from the first musical note. The tune is soaked in the comforting warmth of acoustic textures, delicate instrumentation that adds depth without interrupting, and vocals with all the roughness of yearning and all the solace of a friendly welcome. There's a wave of interest in each note, an emotional energy that is acutely personal but equally well understood. In true indie folk style, Hunt takes his time. He lets the music play out, pausing between the guitar strikes and vocal phrases as links. It isn't that "Come Home" lacks depth, but rather that it is unadulterated and unaffected, unconstrained by the need for something other than the primary meaning.
"Come Home" feels like an open letter of sorts. The track feels like a film, a quiet homecoming, a lengthy drive, perhaps the gentle closing of a door after a hug. Hunt's vocal delivers a level of warmth that cannot be filled in by anyone or anything else. He has a solid grasp of the fundamentals. His voice sounds tall. More significantly, it possesses a flawed sense of depth that cannot be attracted. With "Come Home," Matthew Robert Hunt has guaranteed an incoming release filled with introspection, storytelling, and spirit. Whether or not that is correct, "Come Home" has shown why folk music still matters as much, whether it takes people back to nature.
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