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Leslie Hunt Descend Review by Gary Hill Leslie Hunt is best known to progressive rock fans as the lead singer of the band District 97. This is the second of two solo EPs she recently released. I reviewed the other one in a previous issue of Music Street Journal. I mentioned that, despite her being a prog artist because of District 97, the CD wasn't prog. I'd say the same is true of this one, but it does come a lot closer. In fact, there are a couple tunes here that could fit under that heading. No matter how you categorize this, though, it's a very strong release. In fact, I'd say this one is stronger than the other one. This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2022 Volume 3. More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2022.

Track by Track Review

Don't Make Me Come Back There An acoustic guitar arrangement starts this. The cut works up gradually. It turns to something that seems to blend The Beatles with Pink Floyd. The cut evolves with various movements showing up and themes returning. This is decidedly prog oriented.

Again + Again The opening movement here has plenty of funk built into it. The cut works out into some serious R&B. This reminds me of something that could have come out of the 80s R&B scene. I can also hear some hints of Prince on this.

Quiet Mind More along the lines of mainstream pop rock music. This still has some classy near prog elements in the mix. It's accessible and still meaty.

Big White Flag There is a bouncy modern pop rock vibe to this cut. It's a fun number with good energy and some classy hooks. It also has some intriguing twists along the road.

These Days With a real artsy angle, this has plenty of jazzy textures. There are some soaring moments, and the turn really evolves and grows. Along with the opener, this is one of my favorites here. It just oozes cool.

So Many Times Many of the over-layers here hint at Americana. The cut has some soaring moments and some dreamy ones, too. This is another classy cut that lands on the pop rock end of the spectrum.

Complex Heart With plenty of artsy and jazzy vibes in play, this is a bouncy, pop meets rock kind of number that works well.

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