Domino
After years of shadow-lurking Dev Hynes has made some big-time career moves as of late. Following projects like Test Icicles and Lightspeed Champion the Brit has recently scored high-profile writing/producing gigs for the likes of Solange and Sky Ferreira not to mention some seemingly failed sessions with Britney Spears and soundtrack work on MacGruber (yes MacGruber ). But it’s his own solo work as Blood Orange that’s proving to be his best and brightest.
Following 2011’s divisive Coastal Grooves Hynes has ironed out each and every Blood Orange wrinkle for Cupid Deluxe an ambitious alt-R&B album seeped in space-age neon soul pointed ’80s retroisms and just the right amount of sky-reaching grandeur. To make it happen Hynes enlisted some serious musical muscle including Dirty Projectors’ David Longstreth Clams Casino Chairlift’s Caroline Polachek and Samantha Urbani all of whom add to the record but never overtake it.
Even when Hynes’ Prince-indebted coo isn’t behind the mic his airtight production is there to run the show whether it’s sexy sax passages slap bass workouts ethereal choirs or old-school hip-hop beatwork. It doesn’t hurt that Hynes brought his A-game when it came to actual songwriting as well.
Adventurous unique and hooky as hell Cupid Deluxe deserves to be plastered all over best-of lists come the end of 2013.
