Blood Orange - CoastalGrooves

Thu 4th Aug, 2011 in Music Reviews

Coastal Grooves – Devonté Hynes’ first record under the Blood Orange moniker- is a melodramatic, evocative record tapping into a vast palette of themes, from solitude and isolation to freedom and escapism. It’s an enchanting and complete record that balances direct, melodic pop sensibilities with a slightly ambiguous, fill-in-the-blanks approach to leave more than a few things to the imagination.

Forget It unfolds as a bouncy, uptempo pop song flavoured by plinking oriental guitars and the infectious hook of “I am not your saviour, baby girl”, along with a sudden explosion of hair metal-esque guitar wizardry recalling the unrestrained, top-of-the-world effervescence of Fang Island’s 2010 debut. The slinking, nocturnal Sutphin Boulevard tells the tale of a young man using drag as a form of escapism – the accompanying film clip elaborates on this theme. Hynes says that gay culture and transsexual nightlife were important influences on the record as he feels the scene was the culmination of “being content with yourself and trying to express that in some kind of beautiful way”.

Glistening guitars lead the surging I’m Sorry We Lied, with Hynes’ suggestive, whispered delivery setting the scene perfectly for a darkly romantic tale of the duality of passion and restraint sprinkled with imagery of 20th century Americana. The funk groove of S’cooled sees Hynes carry himself with an assured swagger amidst a sonic kaleidoscope of guitars, bass and percussion. Complete Failure showcases bossa nova influences, as Hynes’ crooning delivery and seductive lyrics create the feel of a dingy underground Brooklyn club late at night.

Instantly Blank (The Goodness) creates an intriguing combination of tropical percussive sounds and a foreboding bassline, threatening to burst into a soaring, anthemic hook but displaying a sense of almost paralysed restraint echoing that of the track’s protagonist. The Complete Knock is a sweeping epic, effortlessly gliding between funk, organ-led gospel and glitchy 80s electro, with the synths towards the end of the track providing a moment somewhat disparate to the rest of the record.

The record’s highlight comes in the form of the brilliant Are You Sure You’re Really Busy, which showcases some intricate and technically proficient guitar work alongside a scathing criticism of a former lover (“Oh, you know you’ve wasted everything in life”). The cavernous piano lines and panoramic backing soundscapes provide a breathtakingly cinematic foundation for a guitar solo that truly is something to behold. Closer Champagne Coast was, according to Hynes, “written to the trailer of Romancing the Stone”, and exudes a film-like cool which matches the bravado of its vaguely risqué content and audacious double-entendres (“Tell me what’s the joy of giving if you never please”).