Blood Orange, Angel's Pulse, Album Review


Blood Orange
Angel's Pulse
Album Review


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British singer/songwriter Dev Hynes (more widely known as Blood Orange) made quite the buzz last year. With the 2018 masterpiece that was his fourth studio album Negro Swan, I instantly fell in love with his enchantingly jazzy sound.

 Given that Negro Swan was a critically acclaimed 16 track album which was one of my favourites of last year and clearly had a tonne of careful thought an effort put into it, it was safe to say that Blood Orange was deserving of a small break, and I wasn't expecting to hear more from him this year.

 Despite this however, I was surprised to find that yet another album had been dropped by the artist last Friday, less than a year after his last LP.

 Given that this "album" has technically been described as a mixtape, It makes sense that this album does indeed feel very similar to Negro Swan aesthetically. In-fact, I would compare it to the likes of Kendrick Lamar's Untitled Unmastered, which was essentially a compilation of unreleased demos for his album To Pimp A Butterfly, but still managed to be just as good as an actual album. Consequently, tis is similarly how I feel towards Angel's Pulse.

 I mean the album isn't perfect, and it didn't quite bless my soul as much as Negro Swan overall. However, this album is still highly enjoyable and includes several tracks which could've passed as, or in some cases, even surpass songs on last years album.

 Furthermore, there are dozens of Negro Swan-isms on this latest cut. The smooth and dreamy voice of Hynes stays very much the same on Angel's Pulse, and there are also a few instrumental similarities. however, there is more of a minimal and comprehendible aesthetic on this album in comparison to Negro Swan, which neither makes it better or worse.

 The songs on this mixtape are also generally more brief than those on the album prior. But I believe that this goes together well with the more minimalist approach on this album.

 When it comes to the tracks, I might even say that there is more versatility on Angel's Pulse than Negro Swan. While that album had a much more realised narrative, the mixtape label on this album gives it a lot more freedom to add a mixed bag of tracks.

 The songs that I enjoyed in particular include "Dark & Handsome", "Good For You" and "Gold Teeth". I feel that these tracks did the most to convey that same level of indulgence that made Negro Swan so good, while still being truly unique and enjoyable tunes.

 I really did enjoy this new album quite a bit, and I feel like it is only going to grow on me more. I also feel like since Untitled Unmastered, this has been my favourite album with a similar purpose; A pseudo album, if you will.

 Lastly, and most importantly, I am delighted that we have received yet another great piece from this phenomenal and genuinely innovative artist. More of this please!


Thank you for reading,

 Booth Boy

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