Orange Crush
Musical chameleon Dev Hynes—formerly of restless dance-punk group Test Icicles and alt-country solo project Lightspeed Champion, and who currently records warm, synesthetic R&B as Blood Orange—isn’t the possessive sort. “I always say that if someone heard a song of mine and wanted it, they could just have it,” he says in a soft British accent. That collaborative spirit has served Hynes well so far—he’s written and produced songs for Theophilus London, Sky Ferreira, and Solange, among others—and comes full circle on his new LP, Cupid Deluxe (Domino). Out this month, the album features contributions from a deep roster of cool friends that includes Chairlift’s Caroline Polachek, Dirty Projectors’ David Longstreth, and Clams Casino. As the ambient party noise at the end of “You’re Not Good Enough” makes clear, there’s space enough in these tightly constructed, smoothly melodic, ’80s pop-inflected jams to welcome anyone who wants to join in the revelry.
CUPID DELUXE IS OUT TODAY, NOVEMBER 19TH. FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT BLOOD ORANGE’S TUMBLR.
