Sam Hunt is back with new music.
Stay with me here, don’t immediately close out just because you saw the name Sam Hunt.
Because this one is…good.
It’s been awhile since we’ve heard anything from Sam. In fact, we really haven’t heard much from him at all since he dropped his last album, Southside, back in April 2020.
That album was a disappointment to say the least. Sam got people excited with his comments about traditional country and the artists he was listening to, dropping names like Sturgill Simpson and Tyler Childers. Many hoped we’d get a body of work that was completely country and fresh.
And then…that didn’t happen.
With the exception of the first track, “2016,” the entire album was pretty much what we’ve come to expect from Sam Hunt.
Well, it was nothing like that. In fact, Southside was pretty much the same stuff he’s been doing. The exact same pop-leaning, talk-singing, snap track sound that you either love or, if you’re a traditional country music fan, you undoubtedly hate.
And Cody Jinks even called “Hard to Forget” the “biggest piece of shit I’ve heard in a long time.”
So yeah, it wasn’t great.
But then in November, Sam showed up pretty much out of nowhere to play some bluegrass music, including some bluegrass versions of his own songs.
Then this week, he dropped an acoustic demo of a new song called “Came the Closest.”
And I like it.
It’s a heartfelt song about a guy who’s not willing to smooth his rough edges, and a girl who “came the closest” to getting him to settle down. And it’s way more “2016” than “Hard to Forget,” which to me is a great thing.
Sam Hunt’s lyrics have never really been the problem with his music – it’s more the production that he puts behind them. So this acoustic demo is exactly what I’m hoping we get more of from Sam Hunt.
Even Parker McCollum seemed to enjoy it, judging by his comment on Sam’s Instagram post:
“Gah damn”
So Sam, if you’re reading this (I’m sure you’re not), here’s my suggestion: Release it just like this. No snap tracks. No trap beats. No pop production… maybe add some steel and call it a day.
Just. Like. This.
