On Popular, Van Hunt’s influences have finally coalesced into a voice. You can still hear Prince, Sly, George Clinton and a host of glam rock folks, but there’s no one-to-one matching of song to influence as there were on Hunt’s previous albums. Sure, he has a dirty mind, but he doesn’t rationalize it with a personal spiritual belief system that embraces one night stands. It’s now clear that his libido is just a part of who he is.

 

That natural feel extends to the songs, which are a little prosaic, less songs than thoughts with musical backing. But they are crafted, of course, and when I stop and focus on them, I find something worth hanging on to. Still, nothing’s immediate here, and for someone who has shown such a pop knack, it seems like something ought to be.