By Carly Blair
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Blood Orange Coastal Grooves
Widowspeak self-titled
Devonte Hynes is the embodiment of a restless creative. Among a ton of other pursuits, he started his musical career with London dance punk trio Test Icicles, moved to Omaha, Nebraska to record his debut as folky troubadour Lightspeed Champion at Saddle Creek, has collaborated with The Chemical Brothers, Basement Jaxx, Florence and the Machine and Solange Knowles, and is a fashion consultant for Jay Z’s Rocawear label. None of which is reflected much in his debut album under his new moniker Blood Orange. Inspired by oriental pop, Prince and Paris is Burning-style street tough drag queens, it’s an album that should annoy me, instead makes for the perfect transition from the party to the afterparty: by turns seductive and melancholic, always very cool.
The debut full-length by this Brooklyn trio immediately calls to mind several fashionable references: Chris Isaak, David Lynch, various druggy, ’90s bands. Singer Molly Hamilton’s breathy, sexy vocals in particular have drawn a lot of comparisons to Hope Sandoval (of Mazzy Star fame), but faster tempos and Rob Thomas’ jangly, surfy guitar lines in particular make their music less oppressively languid than that Monster of Shoegaze. While Widowspeak isn’t this year’s most original record, it is dreamy and seductive enough to soundtrack its own Wild at Heart-style road trip.
(Domino)
(Captured Tracks)
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