8/10

Of all the guises Dev Hynes has adopted over the years, his Blood Orange project has definitely been the most intriguing. Not really looking for commercial success from it, the project has served as an outlet for his own personal beliefs and expressions that would have seemed out of place under his previous monikers. Now releasing his long-awaited new album three days before it was due, 'Freetown Sound' looks to be his biggest statement to date.

Over the last year we have seen Blood Orange release quick protest songs, usually in the wake on some political or social disaster, most of which are not included on this release but instead the messages have been carried on to create a more cohesive release instead. Taking a more electronic direction than his 2013 full-length 'Cupid Deluxe', the record tries to bring together a whole range of musical directions, all arched to create a release that responds to Hynes' own heritage and place on this earth.

The result is an eclectic range of funk, trip-hop and soul that manages to stay fresh from track one to seventeen. A truly impressive release from a man who clearly has a lot to say and knows exactly how to hone his talent into one all-encompassing record.