You’d never know it just to look at him, but James Hunter is an accomplished time traveler. Despite passing for an ordinary mortal, this exuberant singer has obviously transported himself from a smoky London club circa 1963, where the preferred music is deep soul and the grooves are righteous. Against all odds, Off the Fence transcends the pitfalls of nostalgia, recharging the conventions of an earlier era with wit and affection to create a sound that’s fresh and immediate.
As he’s been doing since the mid-‘80s (and a debut album credited to Howlin’ Wilf & the Vee-Jays), Hunter represents the wing of the British Invasion more indebted to Ray Charles than Buddy Holly, who inspired the Beatles and their allies. Following the lead of Georgie Fame, he swings gracefully, leading a smoking little combo and crooning with style, occasionally wailing to raise the heat. Keyboardist Andrew Kingslow and sax players Michael Buckley and Drew Vanderwinckel can deliver a cool solo on occasion – so can Hunter on guitar – but this stellar Six largely functions as a single-minded unit.
