Saturday ACL Fest 2018 Record Reviews
Blood Orange
Negro Swan (Domino)
Reviewed by Isabella Castro-Cota, Fri., Oct. 5, 2018
Devonté Hynes' latest as Blood Orange explores how it feels to be othered and gives hope to an existence rife with wrongful prejudice. "First kiss was the floor," he laments on opener "Orlando," then gets sanguine toward the end, assuring "Hold on, yes/ You gonna be okay" on "Runnin'." Laced together with narratives from Janet Mock – trans rights activist, journalist, and director on TV show Pose – Hynes creates a jazzy respite for the marginalized by brimming Negro Swan with horns, synth, and guitar even if only for an hour. A$AP Rocky, Steve Lacy, and Puff Daddy feature. (5:30pm, Miller Lite stage)