Dev Hynes is a singular talent: a genre-hopping auteur with an exquisite ability to capture a feeling in scattered soundscapes. Informed by grief at the death of his mother and the rose-tinted nostalgia of revisiting his hometown of Ilford, his fifth album as Blood Orange, ‘Essex Honey’, does all that and more, its reflections on life and loss held aloft by complex melodies and poignant vocal performances.
The Last of England is prefaced by a recording of his mother and sister discussing The Beatles on their final Christmas Day as a family — it’s a snapshot of kitchen-sink realism that, exemplifying the record’s restless creativity, is carried away by a rapid breakbeat before cradling the listener in a mournful string coda.
Standout track Life boasts a gorgeous, sensual R&B arrangement, its woozy saxophone solo offering something a little different to its general palette, which makes liberal use of dissonant classical moments. Vocals here come from Tirzah and Charlotte Dos Santos, teeing up another of the record’s great strengths: its use of guests.
Hynes has often operated in the background, writing and producing songs for a diverse array of artists across a multitude of genres. Here, he turns that around in assembling a similarly exciting crew of collaborators, ranging from alt-pop icon Lorde to Brendan Yates, vocalist with hardcore heroes Turnstile. Each artist fits into their respective songs like pieces of a puzzle, voices and instruments intertwining mellifluously, with particular praise needed for longtime foil Caroline Polachek’s stunning contribution to The Field.
Elsewhere, Countryside nods to the lucid dream-pop of Beach House and the record’s centrepiece Mind Loaded features an Elliott Smith sample, furthering the air of melancholy that surrounds its melodious synths and delicate string arrangements. There’s a similar approach to Westerberg, which, going beyond its title, riffs on the chorus from the Replacements’ Alex Chilton.
Hynes’ vocals, in fact, never really feel like the main event. Often, the frenzied instrumentals are in direct competition with what he’s singing, but it’s in service of maintaining the whole. Thinking Clean is ushered in by ticking percussion, descending into sparse piano chords and a disco beat before its harsh cello outro courtesy of both Hynes and Danish musician Caecilie Trier. It is a recurring instrument on this record, always foreboding and dissonant, revealing its writer’s discomfort and underlining ‘Essex Honey’ as a rewarding if challenging record, rich with emotion and unpredictability.
Blood Orange Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Fri November 07 2025 - LONDON Alexandra Palace
Sat November 08 2025 - LONDON Alexandra Palace Theatre
Sun November 09 2025 - LONDON Alexandra Palace Theatre
Mon November 10 2025 - LONDON Alexandra Palace Theatre
Thu November 13 2025 - BRISTOL Electric Bristol
Fri November 14 2025 - MANCHESTER O2 Victoria Warehouse
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