"Dev Hynes has always had a way of reshaping the soundscape. Under his Blood Orange moniker, the Grammy-winning multi-instrumentalist, producer, and all-around creative force has consistently blurred lines between genres, moods, and eras. His latest release, Essex Honey, continues that tradition while adding an even deeper layer of intimacy. Clocking in at just under 45 minutes, the 14-track album feels less like a playlist of songs and more like an intricately woven diary, crafted with precision and vulnerability."
"Hynes has built a career on collaboration, but Essex Honey elevates that instinct into something communal and profoundly personal. Across its tracklist, he enlists an impressive cast: The Durutti Column, Caroline Polachek, Daniel Caesar, Lorde, Mustafa, Eva Tolkin, Ian Isiah, and more. The guest list is a who's who of modern innovators, but the execution never feels crowded. Instead, each voice is folded gently into the album's fabric, creating layers of texture without overshadowing Hynes' vision."
Dev Hynes, performing as Blood Orange, presents Essex Honey, a 14-track, sub-45-minute album that reads like an intricately woven diary. The record centers collaboration, featuring The Durutti Column, Caroline Polachek, Daniel Caesar, Lorde, Mustafa, Eva Tolkin, Ian Isiah, Brendan Yates, Tirzah, and Charlotte Dos Santos among others. Guest contributions are integrated subtly, adding texture while preserving Hynes' sonic vision. The music favors intimate, private settings over urban nightscapes, balancing contemplative moods with restraint. Arrangements blur moments of clarity into abstraction, allowing personal narratives and close relationships to inform a warm, communal, and quietly vulnerable sound.
Read at stupidDOPE | Est. 2008
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