| What Were You Hoping For? | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 27, 2011 | |||
| Recorded | 2008–11 | |||
| Studio | Santa Fe Tracking Station (Los Angeles) | |||
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| Length | 43:32 | |||
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| Producer | Van Hunt | |||
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| Singles from What Were You Hoping For? | ||||
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What Were You Hoping For? is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Van Hunt. It was released on September 27, 2011, by his independent label Godless Hotspot in a joint venture with distributor Thirty Tigers.
The album is the follow-up to Hunt's 2006 record On the Jungle Floor and follows a period of label conflict and mainstream obscurity for Hunt. Written and produced entirely by the singer, What Were You Hoping For? was recorded in sessions at the Los Angeles studio Santa Fe Tracking Station. Hunt applied a minimalist recording approach and worked with a backing band comprising drummer Ruth Price, percussionist Melissa Mattey, and keyboardist Peter Dyer.
The album expands on his previous music's blend of R&B and rock music forms. Hunt sought to achieve a rawer musical aesthetic and incorporated rough rhythms, rock dynamics, and studio effects. Inspired by his experience in Los Angeles at the onset of the late-2000s recession, the album's subject matter deals with contemporary societal issues and dissonance in modern life. Music journalists have noted the album's predominantly rock style, incorporation of funk and soul, eccentric songs, varying musical structure, and Hunt's eclectic vocal range.
What Were You Hoping For? received rave reviews from critics, who praised its musical direction, Hunt's performance, and his songwriting. However, it received some backlash from Hunt's fanbase for its stylistic departure from his past work. The album produced one single, "Eyes Like Pearls", and performed modestly on music charts, reaching number 50 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. Hunt promoted the album with a nationwide concert tour from September to October 2011, accompanied by Price and Dyer in his live band.