Grade: A-
The latest effort by Dev Hynes, also known as Lightspeed Champion or — in this case — Blood Orange, brings a trippy, R&B-infused album with the kind of quality I had expected from The Weeknd’s drop this year. I’ll gladly take this subsitute. Funk, jazz, hip-hop, trip-hop, ’80s throwback, it’s all there on “Cupid Deluxe.” Tracks like synth-friendly opener “Chamakay” and thrumming jam “No Right Thing” impress, while guest vocals like those by Caroline Polachek of Chairlift and David Longstreth of Dirty Projectors bring even more soul to an already soulful album. Some ventures take more risks than others, but no matter how innovative or experimental, Hynes never loses the listener’s attention. With “Cupid Deluxe,” Hynes has managed to strike the balance between listenability and complete originality.