Hunter Thompson “Swan Song” EP Review

Prime Cuts: Firm Foundation, Song of David, Swan Song

Hunter Thompson has a way of placing mortality under the microscope.  Calling to mind the words of Moses from Psalm 90 to "number our days," this 5-track EP gives pause to our hurried lives.  Without hailing fire and brimstone, Thompson gently but firming probes into our spirits with songs that really question our lives' values, our lives' goals and our lives' destiny.  Moved by his own experience of seeing a swan exhaling one last breath before passing away, Thompson was reminded of the Scripture verse that speaks of how our life is nothing but a vapor.  Gasping the transient nature of life, Thompson made a resolve to spend each breath for the glory of God.  These 5 songs are the worshipful responses to such a personal and spiritual manifesto.

Thompson is by no means a new kid on the block.  He is one of the worship leaders of Bethel Music.  Bethel Music is the worship ministry of Bethel Church in Redding, California.  Over the years, the church's worship ministry has had become an international phenomenon whereby young people over every global corner have been singing to their songs.  Avid fans of Bethel Music may recall that Thompson wrote "Come Awaken Love" for the church's #1 album "Tides."  Now, we finally get to hear Thompson on his own.  "Swan Song," in many ways is similar to label mate Steffany Gretzinger's "The Undoing," in the sense that it too is contemplative, haunting and a slow teased out affair.

Ingenuity gets the upper hand with "Song of David."  Featuring the ambient sound that sounds like the blurring voices of a mass choir in a high church coupled with the twitching of nylon guitar strings, "Song of David" is a mesh between an ancient choral work and a neo-folk song.  Just as "Song of David" is an intimate prayer to have a heart like King David, "Maranatha," continues with Thompson's plea for Jesus to come.  Yet, those who are unfamiliar with Thompson need to be warned.  Thompson tends to sing in a high falsetto that makes him sound like a tame version of Prince, which certainly needs some getting used to.  

"Firm Foundation" is the only entry here where the tempo actually accelerates a little from the EP's dreary balladry tone.  "To Love You Rightly" and the title cut "Swan Song" are both Godly resolves to seize every moment of our lives to the worship of God.  The latter is liven by some delightful whistles while the latter has some of sobering words worthy of our rumination: "If I were to die today/I'd stand behind the words I say/I'd sing about our love the way/The swan does as she sees her grave." And as he concludes "Just to love you/Is worth the hell I've been through."  

However, given the fact Bethel Music is known for its supply of church worship music, one wonders what the intent of this EP is.  Without distinguishable hooks, the fragile execution of Thompson's (sometimes irritating) falsetto, and the clumsiness of some of the lyrics, these songs are definitely not attuned for congregational singing.  And if they are just for our mediation, one would wish Thompson would at least toughen up his vocals and liven up the EP with some variegated tempo in order to prevent us from sloughing into forty winks.

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