The O-town Scene

A5 Devonte Hynes made a name for himself working for other musical performers. This included co-writing and producing songs for Solange and Sky Ferreira in 2012. With the release of "Cupid Deluxe" in November, the singer, songwriter and producer, who goes by the name of Blood Orange, has proven himself ready for a return to the spotlight. The album is the follow-up to his 2011 release, "Coastal Grooves." In an online interview he describes his album as being about transitions in life and the songs deal with a variety of relationships. He shares the vocal spotlights with several different artists on his latest, but he is in charge throughout. He displays a variety of musical influences, but the sound is his own. The first single is a good place to get to know Hynes. "Chamakay" includes soulful backup singing from Chairlift's Caroline Polachek and is available on YouTube. In it, he visits Georgetown, Guyana, where his mother is from — the title is a Guyanese expression. While his visit is a chance to see what life in the city is like, its just a backdrop for the music. This breakup song starts with catchy rhythms and background vocals that sound like a wistful sigh. The R&B sound is fresh, with its share of surprises, including the use of synthesizers, but the two vocalists bring out the best in each other. The mournful saxophone is a perfect ending. The second single, "You're Not Good Enough," is also on YouTube and finds Hynes singing with his girlfriend, Sa- mantha Urbani, who has her own band, about two lovers who keep breaking-up and getting back together. The music and the video are an hommage to Michael Jackson. My favorite is "Uncle Ace," which sounds like a Prince-Talking Heads mashup. Hynes sings the tale about a one-sided relationship. It opens with a more than 30-second groove, with funky guitar, joined by synthesizers. Hynes shows once again that he knows how to tell his story — and when to add a soulful saxophone. "No Right Thing" brings Dirty Projec- tors vocalist Dave Longstreth and Urbani together for this tale of a love gone bad. It starts off with a spare guitar line, that is reminiscent of the Police, but working with the vocalists and production help from Clams Casino, he builds the rich synthesizer sound that gives the album its distinctive style.. Songs like "High Street," which juxtapos- es Hynes' soulful singing with that of rap- per Skepta, and the final track, "Time Will Tell," which features Hynes' piano playing, strong beats and choral sound, show the album's diverse inspirations.. In an interview Hynes posted on his YouTube channel, he implied that his focus will remain on helping others, but when his friends come together for a project, the results are truly memorable. Mark Boshnack is a reporter for The Daily Star, and a music fiend. He can be reached at mboshnack@ thedailystar.com. 'Cupid Deluxe' A Lovely Collaboration Friends, I have been reviewing the spring and summer fashion trends for 2014, and let me tell you, the picture they paint ain't a pretty one. Here are some highlights from InStyle, Vogue, Harper's Bazaar and Metro UK: THE GOOD Bold Color I can't argue with this one. There's noth- ing more frustrating than walking into a store and being offered a choice between tan, black, gray, white and navy. Give me color or give me death! Also, Pastels Well, OK, I can live with pastels too, especially for spring. Bring it on. And, Black and White Can't argue with that. And Did We Mention Bold Prints? All right, this is getting a bit ridiculous. Clearly there is no dominant color palette for spring. So expect to see chaos on the racks at stores, and consider yourself free to wear whatever you want. Which is just the way I like it anyway. THE BAD Iridescent/Metallic Colors This feels like one of those trends that, five years from now, we are all going to look back and say, "What were we think- ing?" So let's just leave it alone, shall we? Tiny Backpacks For those of you who, like me, lived through it the first time: Yes, they're back. No, they still don't make any sense. Yes, it may make you look like a 12-year-old, or a hooker, or a 12-year-old hooker. Luxe Sportswear This one sounds familiar too, doesn't it? So we're talking, like, track pants that you can wear to work. Maybe. It's all a little weird and, quite frankly, does not strike me as a good idea. I will pass on this one. COULD GO EITHER WAY Full/Calf-Length Skirts I'm all for full skirts, but anything past knee-length is a no-no for me. But the world is a rainbow of sizes and shapes, and I'm sure there are people out there who can rock a mid-calf skirt with the best of them. So, go on with your bad selves. Fringe I've got nothing against fringe on princi- ple, but you're going to want to be careful with this one. More than one fringed piece per outfit is, I think, a no-no. Mesh It is hard for me to get past my 80s-mus- cle-shirt associations with mesh, but I've seen some examples of it where it looks futuristic and sleek, not like a carney's half-shirt. So I'm keep- ing an open mind. Emily F. Popek does not own any fringe, mesh, luxe sportswear, tiny backpacks or iri- descent clothing. She is also assistant editor of The Daily Star. Spring Trends: The Good, the Bad, the Meh A5 February 6, 2014 O-Town Scene 5 Laygirl Fashion|By Emily Popek New Music Notes|By Mark Boshnack Associated Press A model presents a creation as part of the Dior Spring-Summer 2014 Haute Couture fashion collection, presented Jan. 20 in Paris. Photo by Flickr user Alterna2 Devonte Hynes performs as Lightspeed Champion at the Primavera Sound festival in 2008.

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