Album Review :
Andy Hunter - Presence, Vol. 2

The piano is, like many instruments, simultaneously loved and loathed. The player will tickle the ivories even when others prefer silence. On Presence, Vol. 2 Andy Hunter’s DJ equipment starts to sound strangely similar to a piano. The instrument is present on just about every song, not to mention other orchestral instruments ranging from a pizzicato to a violin. Of course, the electronics are still here, most pronounced in “Light” which has a mid-tempo drum and bass beat, but this album is just as orchestral as it is electronic. The skeletal opener “Awe,” with its synth pad and simple piano, is pretty but borders on being uninteresting, while “Wonder” fluctuates between orchestral and electronic to the point of being distracting. That being said, the orchestral sound sometimes proves successful, mostly on “Unspoken Truth” which is a beautiful, minimal piano number with some acoustic guitar flings. As a whole, Presence, Vol. 2 falls somewhere between okay background music and chill orchestral, electronic that is a shade lackluster. Yes, Andy Hunter is an immensely talented producer and musician, but as for me, I enjoy his music without all the piano.