Gary Steel
IN CINEMA, THE auteur-director is history, killed by big budgets and the need to win back that investment from bums on seats. Music is different: the costs, especially in the digital era, are modest.
New York-based Devonté Hynes is a kind of sound auteur, a musical director bringing together his warped vision of smooth soul.
In the world of Blood Orange, it’s perfectly okay to lull the listener with a sensuous groove, while surprising 
with a brief but delightful volley of multi-tracked baritone saxophones, or waiting half the duration of a song to introduce a female riposte to the male protagonist.
It’s that kind of record: on the face of it, smooth soul-funk moves, but full of strange and alluring additions just for the attentive listener. GARY STEEL
Music = 3.5 stars
Sound = 3 stars
