The James Hunter Six - Off The Fence

2023's Off the Fence marks the debut of the James Hunter Six on Dan Auerbach's Easy Eye Sound after 13 years with Daptone. Apparently, his leaving was amicable because the set was recorded at the label's California studio and produced by Daptone boss Bosco Mann (Gabriel Roth). Further, Off the Fence marks the 40th recording anniversary of the U.K.-based James Hunter Six -- Myles Weeks (double bass), Rudy Albin Petschauer (drums), Andrew Kingslow (keyboards, percussion), Michael Buckley (baritone saxophone), Drew Vanderwinckel (tenor saxophone), and vocalist Hunter on guitar and harmonica. Hunter and company possess a sound and production M.O. that has remained the same for 40 years. Their retro approach stands out; Hunter, a record collector since age nine, writes songs steeped in vintage soul, rhythm & blues, mambo, rhumba, cha-cha, and jump, and records them in mono.

Opener "Two Birds One Stone" employs a mambo rhythm that frames Hunter's reedy, lusty croon under a bumping piano. "Let Me Out of This Love" is a softer soul shuffle undergirded by subtle cha cha (à la the Drifters) and carried by wafting Hammond B-3, bass, and drums as Hunter harmonizes in doo wop style with himself. His voice is organically reminiscent of Jackie Wilson's (his biggest influence) and to a minor degree also channels Sam Cooke's and Ray Charles'. The organ vamp that kicks off rave-up rocker "Gun Shy" is driven by organ and saxophone with staggered cadences. It struts, strolls, and all-but dares listeners to dance. "Believe It When I See It" uses a cut-time rhumba rhythm to frame a smooth R&B choogler around the theme of romantic skepticism. On the tender, sultry "Here and Now" Hunter's croon is smoky, soulful, and reveals him as an iconic vocal stylist. "Ain't That a Trip" is offered in a Texas blues vernacular with strolling saxophones, Hunter's wailing harp, organ, piano, and guitar. Hunter is joined on the vocal by longtime friend and collaborator Van Morrison. Hunter's wry, sardonic British humor is stitched into the lyric; it's guaranteed to get punters to the dancefloor en masse. The singer's falsetto haunts the forlorn romantic "One for Ripley" with a doo wop lilt atop a seamless R&B rhythm framed in mambo. Hunter's guitar introduces "Trouble Comes Calling," a strutting R&B jam that showcases the singer's glorious falsetto. On the lovely "Particular," Hunter's excellent, crooning, jazz vocals swing atop Kingslow's laid-back pianism and shuffling rhythm section. Closer "Only a Fool," the most tender song on the set, offers the range of Hunter's signing and arranging abilities, displaying his peerless writing chops and piercing lyrics.

Those who've paid attention to the JH6 understand the depth and commitment they have to the music and one another. On Off the Fence, Hunter's crew display their richest stylistic and rhythmic varieties to date in songs that stimulate the body and resonate in the heart. Thom Jurek ~ AllMusicGuide