Album Review
essex honey by blood orange
Essex Honey by Blood Orange is his newest album of the year. This anticipated release has finally come after a wait. Blood Orange (Dev Hynes) has had a phenomenal run of great albums. From coastal grooves to Angel’s pulse, Orange has pulled through as an undefeated artist.
My first listen was on a lonesome Saturday night, after the drinks were done, and the saltwater fog had cleared from the streets. I was alone with this album. The melancholic undercurrent of the song felt like it was needed in this time of my life. A soundtrack for my emotions, yet it brought in a new perspective on the world and the way I felt towards it. In the article, Orange did with NPR music, he says
"Lyrically, the whole album is quite literal. I really, really wanted to write literal lyrics. I wanted it to be very precise and direct' cause I've always felt that the more precise and specific you are, it suddenly becomes way more universal cause you get to the root of the emotion. And the emotion is the thing that people can relate to."
And that, he did. The emotion of the song, the relation to it, the ability to feel like the music is describing you, is what makes music such a powerful medium. It can harness what you experience and show up in the world as a mirror, to reflect to the rest that “this is life,” and it makes everyone feel more connected.
With elements of the countryside and urban Interpersonal relations, rendezvous, and reflection, this album has embodied a message that Orange worked meticulously on to bring to life. And it’s all shown. His work with Caroline Polachek, Lorde, Daniel Caesar, Mustafa, Tirzah, Brendan Yates of Turnstile, and Zadie Smith all created an album to last generations.
If you enjoyed this album, here is another album with similar vibes: