released: august 29, 2025

genre: r&b / indie-pop

from: london, uk

label: rca / domino records

a few thoughts: to be honest, the only thing i really wanted to say is, thank you dev hynes. his first album as blood orange since 2018’s negro swan is genuinely a gorgeous and flawless body of work. over 14 tracks, and with a rich tapestry of sounds and melodies, aided by a plethora of talented musicians, from the likes of caroline polachek, lorde, mustafa, tirzah and mabe fratti amongst others, he reflects grief and his mother’s passing in 2023, as well as memories associated with his childhood and home. as someone who has suffered quite a lot from depression and being lost in a world that feels like it’s not for me at times, essex honey has been incredibly therapeutic for me since it came out. the album opens with the the chilling synths and vocals on “look at you”, while the second half of the piano-driven melody of “thinking clean” is just stunning and so powerful to me, as “i don’t want to be here anymore” is sung to a lavish instrumental. “the field” featuring, the durutti column, tariq al-shabir, caroline polachek & daniel caesar… omg 🥺🥹. i can’t even. from the vocal harmonising, the rhythmic drumming and guitar melodies throughout… such a lush and powerful moment on the album. “vivid light” is another immediate highlight, with an emphatic beat, gorgeous wind and string instrumentation, while the moody yet rhythmic energy on “countryside” featuring eva tolkin, liam benzvi & ian isiah is another incredible moment, with stunning guitar leads and arpeggios that add to the lush instrumental, perfectly capturing a nostalgic, reflective moment and mood. it’s perfect. “the train (king’s cross)” featuring caroline polachek is a fast-paced, rhythmic banger, with infectious and guitar grooves, as well as powerful vocals that perfectly flow into “scared of it” featuring brendan yates & ben watt… just incredible from start to finish. the warm and emotive closer “i can go” featuring mabe fratti & mustafa is a fitting way to close out such a powerful meditation on grief, meditations on home and memories relating to love and feelings of warmth and sense of belonging in this world.

thank you, thank you, thank you. an album that has helped me through a lot these past few weeks, and will continue being a meditation for me as i try to figure out life for myself. essex honey is just perfect to me.

the album: