Whether you know him as Devonté “Dev” Hynes or by his stage name, Blood Orange, the English singer, songwriter, producer and composer consistently runs ahead of his time. He’s quietly collaborated with everyone from Harry Styles to Britney Spears, while his original tracks slip into iconic movie soundtracks, like the inclusion of his 2013 track, “Uncle ACE,” in Luca Guadagnino’s “Challengers. His first studio album in six years, “Essex Honey” tells a new, contemplative story with Hynes’ signature funk and R&B sounds.
At the forefront of “Essex Honey” is an exploration of grief and childhood. Following his mother’s death in 2023, Hynes seized the opportunity to express his sorrow and distress through spoken word, stacked vocals and genre fusion. The project reflects his healing process, with a stark interweaving of deeply personal motifs and an emphasis on community, particularly with its wide list of collaborators from Lorde to Zadie Smith.
Shifting between denial and depression, “Essex Honey” can feel a bit chaotic upon first listen. There are abrupt melodic transitions that occur mid-song and verses that feel purposefully vague. However, the lack of a narrative approach is compensated for by the production’s intense moods. With a rich soundscape that Hynes created — featuring notes of jazz, funk and R&B — the sleek instrumentals tell a story on their own, reaffirming that the Blood Orange sound is enough to create a solid project with endless replay quality.
Still, the lyricism captures the longing and vulnerability that Hynes faced while creating this project. In the album’s intro, “Look At You,” the singer questions, “How can I start the day / Knowing the truth / ‘Bout love and a loss of youth?” Grief gives way to nostalgia as the album unfolds and Hynes intertwines stunning reflections of place and memory. In the infectious single “Countryside,” the singer reflects on a disillusionment found in the city lifestyle, yearning to return to the home he knew as a child. Collaborators Eva Tolkin and Liam Benzvi sing, “Take me away from the broken lights / Could it be that you’re alive? / Take me away to the countryside / In the fields trying to hide.”
The diaristic approach to Hynes’ verses flourishes within the album’s rich, soulful sounds. There are poignant moments of intimacy in songs such as “The Last of England,” which features a voice note between Hynes and his mother on their last Christmas together. While some of the songs feature a closer look at moments in Hynes’ personal life, and others focus on the general themes of adolescence, the project as a whole speaks to a universal feeling of being lost in a way that resonates with any listener. The array of artists featured on the album additionally expresses that loss or confusion isn’t confined to one experience — it’s a universal feeling. In the track “Mind Loaded,” Hynes, Caroline Polachek, Lorde and Mustafa take turns recounting a shared sense of frustration in life, “Still broken (Broken) / Can’t think straight (Straight) / Mind loaded (Loaded) / Heart still aches (Still aches).”
As the soul-infused “I Can Go” concludes the record, Hynes successfully ties together the album with a lingering sense of cohesion among his abstract ideas. “Essex Honey” isn’t the type of album that makes complete sense upon first listen, but the honesty and depth in Hynes’ artistry are undeniable. It’s not clear-cut or conventional. Grief rarely is.
Contact Amelia Knust at [email protected].