Blood Orange- 'Coastal Grooves'
There's a few things you need to know about Blood Orange. First is that it's a project by that Dev Hynes- you know, the fella out of Test Icicles and Lightspeed Champion. Second is that the aforementioned musician seems to possess an ability for creative transformation on a par with Optimus Prime. And thirdly, the debut from this new venture, 'Coastal Grooves', is really rather good.
Having been shacked up in the bright lights of NYC for a few years now, the glamour and the legacy of the Big Apple's 80s disco scene seem to have had some influence on this newest incarnation. Using the vogue for all things lo fi as the main drive of the Blood Orange sound, there is a sense of overwhelming 'cool' running throughout the record. The melodic pluck and beguiling vocals of opening track 'Forget It' set the tone perfectly, even throwing in a killer guitar solo to assuage any fears of this being a breezy slice of insubstantial hipster tomfoolery. Well, it's not insubstantial tomfoolery anyway.
It's a fresh and colourful sound, and I swear this assessment is not a subliminal conclusion inspired by the band name- although it is pretty juicy. Sexy bass, beats and smooth vocals in tracks 'Sutphin Boulevard' and 'S'cooled' are as ice-chilled as Shaft building an igloo with the power of his mind. This is late night bar music at it's best- a world seen through lusty eyes and a relaxed, booze-soaked temperament. It's mysterious as that shapely female figure with an Adam's Apple ordering another Martini at the bar and as sensory as the glowing lights of the New York clubs that blind you. 'The Complete Knock' is the track to listen to if you want the perfect mouthful of what Blood Orange is about. You get the nods of familiar indie vibes you might get from Foals, but blended with a funk laden disco beat and a lo fi wistfulness that takes the track in a completely different direction. In a context-appropriate word, it's fabulous.
He may not be able to settle on any one thing, but when he keeps churning out noise as charming as this, Dev Hynes can do whatever the hell he likes.