Every Eye With Love by Hunter Altschul is available online at:
http://hunteraltschul.bandcamp.com/album/every-eye-with-love
What makes a Picasso, a Rembrandt, a Cezanne so immediately memorable and identifiable is an undeniable sense of identity, a sameness and singular eye for acuity that is uniquely their own. They draw us into passionate visions of unspoken, and sometimes unspeakable truths buried and hidden within us all, yet ones that only they can extrude and manifest on canvas, within literature and upon notes in ways that dazzle us, amaze us, and always leave us wanting more. Few artists of any medium or any age achieve this distinction, and for one so young as Hunter Altschul to strike such heights again (and in such short stride after his earlier 2011 release The Night Sky) is nothing short of astounding.
This past weekend, Ellen Bukstel hosted an invitation only singer/songwriters exchange at her premier venue Shack In The Back. Amongst the mostly 50-something and 60-something local, state and national folk and acoustic luminaries present that evening was only one twenty year old: Hunter Altschul. Each artist played a single, original work which was then critiqued by the assemblage of colleagues. Hunter chose Dirt Road from his latest CD Every Eye With Love, a song and performance which proved why one so young shared that evening with so many maturer, well known names. For that evening, it was no mistake that the highest singular compliment given to any singer/songwriter, that holy grail of accolades – “you left me wanting to hear more” – was spoken by none other than the Bob Dylan of Florida folk music, Rod MacDonald, to Hunter Altschul.
Hunter’s most recent CD – Every Eye With Love – is undeniably an Altschul masterpiece. Whether he writes and sings of following dwarf stars in light up sneakers (Liaisons – track one), or of how only carnies say fuck a dirt road, pretend they don’t hear (Dirt Road – track two), or when he paints a picture of some far-off ardent palace of patronizing cavalier and malice (I Saw Something Graceful – track three), you always feel and hear the presence of his masterful hand and keen eyesight sweeping you through refined images and emotions that dazzle and amaze. And when he tells you but all dressed in lapis blue in the morning I packed all I’d need to leave you cause you don’t know me well (Your Rage – track three), and that I am taking it out on my friends and my steering wheel (Ashamed – track five), like Rod MacDonald, Hunter will always leave you wanting to hear more.
I live in awe of great artistry. I revere great artists. I aspire to be like them one day. Through their inspiration I see an image, a future, a hope that they lovingly give to me. Listen to Hunter Altshul’s Every Eye With Love and see what luminary visions he passionately plays for you.
Dr. Bob