Music Review // Julian Hunt "Marine Drive"

 

I always enjoy when music comes out and it feels like it's released at a specific time and for a specific reason.  "Marine Drive" feels like it's coming out at the perfect time, not because it's winter but because we are quickly approaching Valentine's Day and this is a love song in its purest form.   Everything about this song is just upbeat and bubbly, pop to the extreme and something which you could very much see someone setting up a keyboard outside of someone's house and playing it like "Say Anything" but to a new level.

Big electronics on this song make me think it's synthwave but there is also a lot of pop in here.  From artists of the past such as Wham to artists of the present such as Hellogoodbye and Owl City, there is just such a distinct sound within here.   One thing I feel like we perhaps don't see enough of any more in music is when those first few notes hit in a song and you can immediately recognize the song.   Julian Hunt does this and not just because this is unique to the song but because the overall style and how this begins is just unlike most things you will hear out there.

Lyrically, "Marine Drive" is a love song because of lyrics such as "I could stay here with you forever".   There are also reassuring affirmations such as "I know there's more to you and I / I don't think you're just a waste of time".   But overall I just like how direct and to the point the lyrics can feel, with lines like "I'll be yours / And you'll be mine".   In many ways, thinking about this song coming out so close to Valentine's Day, it does feel like it could be what is written inside of a Valentine's Day card.

What makes this song so good though is not that it just feels like the loveliest of love songs for Valentine's Day, but that it has a message and a sound which can be appreciated all year long.  In some ways, I feel like the message of Valentine's Day (and all similar holidays) is not to just go all out for one day a year but rather to appreciate and love each other all year long.  So this song and the sentiment which comes with it should not just be listened to once or even at one point in time per year, but all the time and forever.