Hunches

***The turn of the century was a scary time for many of us. Unsure of where we were going, unsure of what the world had left to offer, if anything. Y2K, 911, financial collapse, bullshit wars, bullshit politics, natural disasters the world had never seen the likes of before…it was as if the very fiber of the planet was being torn asunder as we watched, waiting for it to strike us personally. But for most of us it never did. We buoyed ourselves against the storm with the music of THE HUNCHES, and although we may have come through beaten, bruised and scarred, we made it. The Hunches did not. The paid for our sins, they took the bullet, they shielded us from the blow over three LPs and a handful of singles. These are their earliest recordings as a band, demos from way back in 2001, the songs themselves buried away until now, only ever rearing their heads on obscure CD only comps. They show the genesis of the sound that gave us all so much joy when we needed it most, so much surety in times of doubt, so much solace in times of sad recollection. Two caveman hymns, songs for misanthropes who’ve realized that they’re really in love with the world, two rough cut gems of simple and heartfelt brilliance. Few bands have reached further into the depths of human emotion and come up with songs so chillingly beautiful. These are two them, songs to remind you of simpler times, of being in love, of childhood, of days gone by and of losses and tragedies. The Hunches show us the darkness and light, because that’s what real life shows us too. And if there ever was a band that was real, it was The Hunches. Cherish these two songs and pray that we might hear more someday.