Song of the Day: “Bazaareteria” by The Dear Hunter
To listen to Sunya, the latest chapter in The Dear Hunter’s increasingly crowded shelf of concept records, is to realize that Casey Crescenzo has officially traded his 19th-century tailcoat for a neon-trimmed flight suit. Released on March 20, 2026, Sunya serves as the lush, synth-heavy sequel to 2022’s Antimai. If the previous record was a guided tour through a dystopian city’s rigid caste system, Sunya is the next chapter on the journey towards a post-human paradise.
The band’s evolution is on full display here, and it’s a far cry from the post-hardcore theatrics of Act I or the orchestral sweep of Act IV. The Dear Hunter has spent the last few years flirting with “future funk,” and on Sunya, they’ve finally moved in and started world building. The record leans heavily into jazz-fusion, space-age pop, and grooves so tight they could probably hold a collapsing building together better than duct tape. It feels less like a traditional rock opera and more like the soundtrack to a high-budget sci-fi film that exists only in Casey’s head (and maybe it is)—one where everyone wears capes and the basslines are legally required to be “filthy.”
Ultimately, Sunya proves that The Dear Hunter isn’t interested in circling back to earlier incarnations, even if the fans occasionally beg for another “Red Hands.” They are a band in a constant state of molting, shedding their previous skins to reveal something shinier and more rhythmically challenging. It’s ambitious, it’s a bit pretentious, and it’s undeniably catchy—which is exactly what we’ve come to expect from a group that refuses to let a simple four-chord progression get in the way of a good story.
While the rest of Sunya occasionally wanders into the tall grass of atmospheric world-building, “Bazaareteria” opens on the launch pad with the countdown already in progress. It’s the sonic equivalent of a high-speed escapade through a futuristic black market, featuring a bassline so aggressive it feels like it’s trying to pick a fight with the drummer. This is the peak of the band’s “future funk” evolution—it’s catchy enough for a club in Ring 1 (obligatory Antimai reference) but complex enough to keep a music theory professor sweating. Casey Crescenzo leans into a soulful, almost frantic delivery here. He captures the desperation of the “Market of the Unseen” perfectly, transitioning from smooth crooning to those signature grit-filled belts that remind you why you fell in love with this band in the first place.
The Song
Spotify:
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/song/the-bazaareteria/1878387161
The Album
Spotify:
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/sunya/1878386917
The Band
Be sure to check out the Audio Toxicity 2026 Bad Music Detox Protocol (AKA a playlist of songs covered so far…)