I haven’t done an album review in a very long time, but The Dear Hunter’s newest album Migrant is so fantastic that I needed to share it.

The one main difference with Migrant to the rest of The Dear Hunter’s albums is that this one does not have a theme, but is simply just a regular album. However, Casey has not lost any of his theatrical and powerful vocals, which is nice because even though Migrant is not themed I still think his passion helps drag the listener in and tries to get them to figure out what he’s belting about.

I personally think that the album has a music feel of Act III: Life and Death in it, which I really enjoyed because, until Migrant, Act III was my favorite album. A few songs still include trumpets, which I think fits their music style very well. Even Girl, which I thought was a little different for them, ended up being one of my favorites because it’s a song that gets me dancing from the first chords.

Favorite song: Whisper. There’s just something about the lyrics that immediately drew me into the son, which is a big accomplishment since usually it takes several listens before I really start to hear the lyrics. Specifically the chorus:

“I think that we’ve all made our gravest mistakes

On the greatest intentions that we’re too stubborn to let go

And with this little time before I go

I’ll open up my mouth, and scream it out

To cast my voice into the crowd”

There’s just something about the words that ring true to the human condition. They’re words that I’m sure anyone can relate to.

Also, whenever I listen to it the opening makes me feel like I’m in a scene of a movie where I would be in a car, driving away, and the camera would pan across my face before panning across the car driving on a desert highway into the sunset. Yea, imagination. It just gets me pumped and helps me feel like I can do anything: “Don’t let the world beat you down”.

Least favorite song: Although I wouldn’t say I have a least favorite song on this album, there were a couple songs (once I finally stopped listening to Whisper on repeat) that I had to get used to before I really enjoyed. If I had to choose a song that took the longest to get used to it would be Sweet Naivete because it just doesn’t do much for me. Now I like it more and it’s a great slow song to just relax and unwind to.

Overall, amazing album! If you’re a fan of The Dear Hunter you need to pick it up, and if you’ve never heard of them before, what are you waiting for?

Grade: A