Smooth and sultry, ‘Vertical’ is a modern-day love letter written in Hunt’s iconic junglist style. According to a press release, she explained ‘Vertical’s production, saying: “There’s this one synth that kind of beeps, and it just makes you feel a bit dissociative… how can you say something without the lyrics? I wanted it to feel like December in London."
Hunt’s lyrics - although seemingly not the focal point for her in this track - still paint vibrant pictures of lazy, woozy scenes of romance, often using nature-based imagery: “You make the rain / I chase the hurricane” and “I’m not ashamed, I’m a river and you’re sea / You are the wave, and I pray you crash on me” highlight themes of water and wild weather - fitting for a wintry night in London.
Her voice drifts over cool synths and her trademark jungle breaks, which are more muted here in comparison to some of her other tracks, allowing for a more mellow, afterglow-esque atmosphere to be evoked. In contrast to ‘Boys in Blue’, which detailed the breakdown of a volatile previous relationship, ‘Vertical’ appears to serve as a moment of healing for Hunt. It is dreamy, sweet and soothing - and a relief to hear her now say “I feel beautiful / it’s the way you drive me wild.”
‘Emotional Junglist’ is to be Hunt’s second album, following the huge success of her Mercury-prize nominated debut album, ‘Silence is Loud.’ From the looks of things, it would seem that listeners are going to see a pretty open, more vulnerable side to Hunt in this record - and we can’t wait to see what she has in store.
Megan FitzGerald
Image: ‘Emotional Junglist' Official Album Cover
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