Blood Orange Drops “Essex Honey”: Is This the Best Album of the Season?

A Chronicle of Loss and Beauty

“Essex Honey” stands as Devonté Hynes’s most personal album to date, presenting itself as a type of mourning diary marked by a profound beauty. Hynes, a British musician who has spent much of his career in New York, revisits his childhood surroundings in the suburbs of London with astonishing emotional power.

Since Devonté Hynes, also known by his stage names Blood Orange and previously Lightspeed Champion, captivated the indie music scene with his 2011 debut album “Coastal Grooves,” he has become as iconic to the image of New York City as the Statue of Liberty or snapshots of a young Debbie Harry. His early work, deeply influenced by the nocturnal essence of 1980s New York, set the stage for his unique musical identity.

Hynes has crafted an image of a loner who blends seamlessly with New York City’s most vibrant and diverse fringes. His music, transforming pop into a collection of deluxe mixtapes, frequently features spontaneous contributions from guests over recurring melodic themes. This approach not only highlights the multicultural and multi-identity fabric of New York but also propels it forward.

Albums like “Freetown Sound” (2016) and “Negro Swan” (2018) served as platforms for emancipation, through which Hynes explored the city’s soundscape—from new jack swing to minimalist avant-garde—much like a painter with his color palette. These albums featured collaborations with influential figures like Ta-Nehisi Coates, poet Ashlee Haze, vocalist Ian Isiah, and well-known artists such as Steve Lacy and A$AP Rocky, weaving a rich tapestry of gospel warmth. In the era of Trump and a rising reactionary wave, Hynes’s work stands as a form of resistance.

Roots in Essex

Despite his association with America, Devonté Hynes was born and raised not in Manhattan but in Ilford, a small town in East London. Although Ilford has not been part of Essex since the 11th century, it is traditionally linked to it, hence the title of Blood Orange’s latest album, “Essex Honey.” It was in these unremarkable streets, in a region supportive of Brexit and reality TV akin to England’s version of “Jersey Shore”, that young Dev honed his artistic craft.

Back then, Hynes could be found at the local skate park, playing football on dilapidated pitches (he supports Tottenham Hotspur), or in his teenage bedroom, strumming guitar to the tunes of The Smiths. “A few years ago, my friend George Barnett from These New Puritans told me about a book by his friend Tim Burrows called ‘The Invention of Essex: The Making of an English County.’ When you look closely, influential figures like The Prodigy, Stereolab, Depeche Mode, Blur, David Beckham—all hail from Essex,” Hynes shared over coffee one July morning in Paris.

An enthusiast of film, literature, and theater, Hynes also admires playwright Sarah Kane and often revisits her works alongside his favorite book, Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein.” This eclectic influence is evident in the composite and patchwork nature of his albums.

Introspective Creation

While his sixth album—or fifth, if you consider “Angel’s Pulse” (2019) a mixtape—took a while to materialize, it wasn’t due to a retreat from the world but rather his engagement in various musical projects (soundtracks, collaborations, composing neoclassical pieces). Hynes himself questioned the album format, wondering, “I am always working on lots of scattered things, thinking something will emerge. But why should it take the form of an album?”

Returning to one’s roots, especially when one’s youth was spent longing to escape, is never trivial. The pandemic and the passing of his mother two and a half years ago offered a poignant answer to his question. “I remember listening to Sufjan Stevens’s ‘Fourth of July’ on repeat and realizing the comforting power of music during tough times,” he continued.

Hynes also cites Roland Barthes and his “Mourning Diary,” describing it as “dark in many ways, but a comforting relief,” to explain the intentions behind “Essex Honey,” his most personal work to date. “Previously, I would jot down words throughout the day and pick from them to write my song lyrics, resulting in some abstract or metaphorical turns of phrase. Lately, I’ve abandoned that reservoir of lyrics; I write in a stream of consciousness to music, making my pieces more direct and rooted in reality.”

The intimate nature of Blood Orange’s latest album does not detract from its blockbuster appeal, featuring collaborations with Vini Reilly (The Durutti Column), Lorde, Mustafa, Caroline Polachek, Tirzah, and Charlotte Dos Santos. “Essex Honey” is indeed a significant work from a child of the century.

“Essex Honey” (RCA Records/Sony Music). Released on August 29. Live at Olympia, as part of the Pitchfork Music Festival Paris, on November 3.

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Tyler Jenkins

Hi, I’m Tyler from the Decatur Metro team. I help you discover trends and emerging talents in the local music scene.