In this album, Hunter’s light-toned mewl seems to straddle the line between his natural upper range and an effortless falsetto (think of a pop-style Skip James minus the existential terror), and his lyrics manage to be both deeply personal and universally themed. On the McCartney-esque “Play Your Cards Right” he intersperses feel-good bromides (“spread love all in my heart/ ’til it’s time to part”) with vivid reminiscences of a downhome childhood. “Not Gonna Stress Myself” and “Through My Eyes” (the latter featuring pianist Dave Keys laying down patters that would sound appropriate on an early-era Billy Joel outing) find him offering unpretentious, almost ingenuous-sounding life lessons, sounding more like a youthful new-folk troubadour than a 55-plus-year-old self-styled bluesman. -David Whiteis, Living Blues
The Great Unknown proves Hunter’s mastery of the blues and folk niches. He is a fierce guitar player and a soulful bluesman. Please check out Hunter’s first Music Maker Release.