Blood Orange Freetown Sound Album Review. In July 2. 01. 5, at the height of the Black Lives Matter movement, British singercomposer Dev Hynes released Do You See My Skin Through the Flames, an 1. This is not from my forthcoming album, Hynes asserted, just some things on my mind. The cover art depicted an elegant black figurehis back straight, his fingers clutched deep into his own flesh. The image showed strength on the song, Hynes unpacked the yin and yang of everyday life as a black person Im proud of my name, Im proud of my dad, Im proud of my family, but its very strange to have to carry that we all carry that, every black person carries that. To live black is to live conflicted. Theres the urge to live freely and be accepted, even if the world at large is still uncomfortable with people of color. Blood Orange - Coastal Grooves (2011) Apflickorna' title='Blood Orange - Coastal Grooves (2011) Apflickorna' />We feel an innate sense to protect our own kind and hold each other close. We are prisoners of perception our culture pillaged, our style and vernacular mocked and imitated, only to be told were not good enough to be equal. Freetown Sound, Hynes third album as Blood Orange, rrives days after Baltimore police officer Caesar Goodson Jr., who drove the van in which 2. Freddie Gray was fatally injured, was found not guilty on all charges against him. That same day, a grand jury in Collin County, Texas, decided there wasnt enough evidence to indict former Mc. Kinney police officer Eric Casebolt for slamming a black teenage girl to the ground at a pool party. June 2. 5th wouldve been Tamir Rices 1. Minecraft Full Version Cracked there. Cleveland police officer who thought Rice pulled a handgun from his waistband. Earlier this month, 4. U. S. history, after a gunman walked into a gay Orlando nightclub and opened fire. And just last week, the United Kingdomwhere Hynes is fromvoted to leave the European Union, sparking chants of racism from liberals. Hynes offers a broad view of black culture, using vocal clips and spoken word poetry to craft a multifaceted narrative of historically underserved people. VnXP/x720-2Gm.jpg' alt='Blood Orange - Coastal Grooves (2011) 1' title='Blood Orange - Coastal Grooves (2011) 1' />AOL Radio is powered by humans Great radio is all about unexpected connectionsthe kind that an algorithm cant predict. Pick any station in any of the 30 genres. Cupid Deluxe is the second album by Dev Hynes as Blood Orange, and is the follow up to 2011s Coastal Grooves. The album was released on 18 November 2013 in the UK. From David Bowies swan song to Beyonces call to arms, Anohnis war lament to Frank Oceans return, 2016 was a year of big artists making big statements. Black can get you over, black can sit you down, says a sampled voice toward the end of With Him, from Marlon Riggs 1. Black is. Black Aint. On Love Ya, we hear author Ta Nehisi Coates outline a very real conflict facing most minorities figuring out what to wearand how to wear itas to not intimidate others. How was I gonna wear my pants he recalled. What shoes was I gonna wear Who was I gonna walk with to school Most people take these things for granted, but as a minority, your fashion sense can be seen as a threat. Hands Up references the 2. Trayvon Martin in Florida, where George Zimmermana neighborhood watch volunteershot the unarmed teenager and claimed self defense. Music/v4/c9/ae/1f/c9ae1f88-9105-e255-175f-101d6a49113e/source/1200x630bb.jpg' alt='Blood Orange - Coastal Grooves (2011)' title='Blood Orange - Coastal Grooves (2011)' />Keep your hood off when youre walking Hynes warns. Sure enough, theyre gonna take your body. Throughout Freetown, he speaks directly to those who look like himthe overlooked and under appreciated, the persecuted and misunderstoodconsoling his community while highlighting our collective grace. Chance treads the same ground as DAngelos The Charade, using self hurt to dissect racial inequality. All I ever wanted was a chance for myself, Hynes moans through a voice steeped in sadness. Formerly known as Lightspeed Champion, Hynes used to play in punk rock band Test Icicles before moving on to create folkpop hybrids. Coastal GroovesHynes first album as Blood Orangecombined new wave and electro soul, even if the results just barely scratched the surface of what we hear from him now. A website dedicated to California prehistory, including news of the profession as well as research papers and other information. Blood Orange Coastal Grooves 2011 4cFreetown is more expansive than 2. Cupid Deluxe, but it moves quicker, packing funk and 8. R B into a coherent set. Between his nuanced baritone and creative approach, the album resembles a Saul Williams release, as something overtly political and complex while pulling in many different genres. Songs like Desire and Best to You are especially nostalgic, employing festive soul grooves and tropical dance. Juicy 1 4, But You, and Thank You take tonal cues from Michael Jackson, mimicking the optimistic glow of ballads like Human Nature and Man in the Mirror. Beautiful Nature Sounds'>Beautiful Nature Sounds. In a good way, Hynes is able to pull from these musicians while crafting an aesthetic thats uniquely his. He takes on a directors role at times, stepping aside vocally and allowing his features to shine. Hynes mostly sings with and writes for women, which adds another layer of dignity to his art. Nelly Furtado takes the lead on Hadron Collider and Blondie frontwoman Deborah Harry sounds perfectly at home on E. V. P., a rubbery funk instrumental seemingly plucked from that bands discography. The album title pays homage to Freetown, Sierra Leone, the countrys capital city and hometown to Hynes father. The recording feels communal despite its political themes, whether hes sampling particular African dialect, or giving poet Ashlee Haze space on By Ourselves to salute femininity. On these and other songs, the words are searing and soothing, almost always at the same time. My in lawsalso from Freetownspeak reverently of the villages and family and friends who still live there. They reminisce about the beach and the sense of togetherness they felt. They acknowledge the extreme poverty and the 2. Ebola outbreak, but say its still a land of true beauty, holding a deep spiritual connection you have to feel for yourself. You sense that warmth throughout Freetown Sound, even if the music doesnt pull directly from the sounds of the area. Freetown scans as a capital B Black record, hitting the same social chords as Kendrick Lamars To Pimp a Butterfly, DAngelos Black Messiah, and Kamasi Washingtons The Epic. Like those albums, Freetown resonates with everyone sagging under the weight of systemic oppression. My album is for everyone told theyre not black enough, too black, too queer, not queer the right way its a clapback, Hynes told Entertainment Weekly in a recent interview. Freetown epresents the innermost workings of a man wading through his own insecurities, holding his flaws and weaknesses up to the light for everyone to see. Hes trying to make sense of himself, his race and sexuality, while taking a hard look at what this world has become. The future isnt so hopeless, but we wont make it if we dont forge the path together. Published on Nov 1.