The chances are that if you didn’t know anything about Blood Orange, you might assume it had something to do with James Murphy’s DFA label – and you’d be right to a degree. It’s actually an alias for Dev Hynes – he of Lightspeed Champion and the Testicicles – who has been living in New York the past three years, absorbing the music and culture. ‘Coastal Grooves’ is the result, a fascinating collage of styles that brings in lean disco, Far Eastern influences and even, in ‘Complete Failure’, the panoramic scope of a Western. Such a song title hints at the vulnerability that runs through the album, but Hynes has alighted on something pretty special here, using his own versatile voice to very effective means. Buy and be surprised.
4 out of 5
Reviewed By Ben Hogwood
