Album Review: Blood Orange - Cupid Deluxe

Blood Orange
Cupid Deluxe
Rating: Woof Daddy

I have been told on numerous occasions that I don't like pop music because I mainly review indie/alternative/electronic acts, and by others that I am not really an indie/alternative/electronic fan because I like pop music; Catch-22 if you will. Honestly, I don't think the two are mutually exclusive. I appreciate any music if it is done right; whether it be a sugary power pop single, an intense ambient drone, slow-burning R&B jam, icy post punk guitar workout, or a slinky techno cut. When I was growing up, I was weaned on Top 40 radio in the 70s, which gave way to alternative radio in the 80s. I never truly was able to completely let go of one over the other, and in the 90s there was a glorious time where there was a nice overlap between the two. Of course with the Internet, you can basically listen to a different genre every other song, and even search out what you want to hear without having a playlist dictated to you. So today's musicians' view of music is skewed only by how many keystrokes or link clinks they make and not by formerly rigid genre structures. Today, no one would say you can't mix world music, rap, and country music into one song. As long as the song is good, have at it. Dev Hynes, who was born roughly around the same time I was, has a musical interest that seems as restless as mine. Starting off with the bratty dance punk band Test Icicles, Dev quickly saw the limitations that were apparent, moving on to the countrified rock of Lightspeed Champion, then writing songs for Florence and the Machine, Solange, and Sky Ferreira, before settling into his current incarnation, Blood Orange, which straddles the line between 80s synth pop and pop music, Prince-esque R&B, hip-hop, and electronica. His first album Coastal Grooves leaned a little more towards 80s pop and New Wave, and while a really good listen, was overly stiff at times for my taste, coming across as more of a genre exercise than truly a melding of all of Hynes' interests.

With his sophomore record Cupid Deluxe, Hynes has really come into his own, crafting a gorgeous record that sounds light on its feet but serious at the same time, and meshes all of his musical interests into one satisfying whole. In an interview with NME, Hynes said that Cupid Deluxe was inspired by "New York City, the Big Apple. I lived in Brooklyn for some time and finally made the leap into Manhattan. So a lot of the record is about that, transitions, life transitions. Moving from a stable position to an unstable position. Something we have all been through." The album is full of songs that ache and strain, whether they are about relationships or career, and you feel Hynes stretching his musical voice to fit his aspirations. Where Coastal Grooves was essentially Hynes and his studio, Cupid Deluxe opens things up with a variety of collaborators that never outshine him or simply fade into the background. Working with Chairlift's Caroline Polachek, Kindness' Adam Bainbridge, Friends' Samantha Urbani, cloud rap producer Clams Casino, as well as rap cameos from Queens' Despot and London's Skepta, Hynes utilizes each perfectly to create his lush vision.

Starting out with the light Caribbean rhythms of the haunting track "Chamakay," Hynes pulls you in immediately with its gorgeous atmosphere and delicately hushed interplay between him and Chairlift vocalist Caroline Polachek. A song about a one sided relationship that is not going anywhere, Hynes' aching voice is the perfect foil for the lyrics, which have him stating "But now you're feeling empty/I tried my best last time/I'll leave you with your feelings/I'll leave you in your lies."



These relationship issues keep popping up throughout the record, as anyone in their 20s and 30s in a large city may attest to. From the looking-over-my-shoulder-for-someone-better track "You're Not Good Enough," which sounds like an outtake from Prince's heyday;



to the playful "Always Let U Down" a crafty reworking of Mansun's single "I Can Only Disappoint U" which feeds off its laid-back charm; and the haunting closing track "Time Will Tell," with its deep piano chords and echoing drums, which tells you to rely on yourself as "no one's waiting on you/don't be stressed now."



Cupid Deluxe unfolds like a really good mixtape, taking you on an aural journey through ups and downs, highs and lows, seemingly hesitant and naive at times, then strong and forceful the next. Hynes knows the values of pacing, never letting the record drop too far or get too inescapably lofty. There is a wide breadth of musical choices at play as well, from the funk and disco leanings of "Uncle ACE," the sparkly 80s pop of "It Is What It Is," hip-hop inspired "Clipped On," to the gorgeous and sweeping downtempo electronica of "High Street." The record feels complete and fully realized, a set of tracks meant to be heard together, working off one another, unfolding its vast tapestry, but strong enough where each song stands on its own.

Cupid Deluxe feels like an old friend that you might have long periods of time where you might not speak, but when you pick back up, no matter at what point, it is like only seconds have gone by. It resonates and lingers deeply within you, sparking memories and creating new ones. It becomes a part of you, for better or worse, but is undeniably something that shapes you.

Rating Scale:

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and piques one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.