Johnny Hunter released one of the most enthralling and fascinating albums of last year with their debut EP ‘Early Trauma’ (see my review here). Theatrical, gothic, effervescent and with just a hint of malevolence, this is a band that slaps on some makeup and puts on a show – visual and aural pummeling that is thoroughly entertaining and absolutely cathartic. Johnny Hunter is not a person, it’s a phenomena.
The great news is Johnny Hunter is back, and they are not resting on their laurels. ‘The Floor’ is a pulsating, dynamic track that is ebullient, abrasive and enough attitude and radiant star power to mesmerise an entire galaxy.
I interviewed the band last year and they made it clear how seriously they took the aesthetics and the sound of the band:
We always wanted people to remember us. Putting on a show is a part of playing music, music needs theatricality & cabaret. It began when Hutty started to wear eyeliner & lipstick at our first show as Johnny Hunter. Soon the whole band aesthetic began to come together and it’s now become an integral part of our show.
This package is on show in ‘The Floor’ – both the single and the video are dynamic and entertaining. Touching on dark themes, the band says of the song:
The floor is the lowest point. The realisation that the person you’ve become is not the person you wanted to be. When after a lifetime of casting the blame outward, the only place left to look is inward. It’s the accusation of the self and the confession to the self. The acceptance of responsibility. The rude awakening. The brute in the mirror. But above all it’s a release. It’s the clarity to know yourself well enough to see that the only way now is up
The lyrics are visceral and scything:
I am the floor
That you stand upon
I am a lover
Dead and gone
I am the Rat
I am the creep
I am the scum
Dance to the sound of the
Confession song
Sheer brazen showmanship, a sneering posed attitude and songwriting craft of the highest order: a pop song cloaked in a heavy-metal sheen and an arched brow, gothic undertones mixed with carnival extravagance. Johnny Hunter and ‘The Floor’ has it all:
Johnny Hunter continue to be in my opinion a band that demands a global stage.
You can stream ‘The Floor’ here.
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