Originally, the music on Coastal Grooves was never intended to be released, laying dormant for some time as a pet project of its creator, Dev Hynes. Recorded during downtime from his production work for Solange Knowles, the record is rooted in fresh terrain, forgoing the introspective folk of Hynes' output as Lightspeed Champion in favour of heavily '80s-indebted pop. Perhaps as a result of his recent concentration on production, Hynes sticks to a relatively narrow stylistic template over the record's duration, borrowing his affected falsetto from Prince, and elsewhere blending disparate Asian and Western pop influences to create an appealing amalgamation of sound.
Hynes flexes his swiftly-developing skills behind the boards from the get go, with the first three tracks establishing a strong blueprint for the remainder of the record. 'Sutphin Boulevard', an early highlight, marries a rudimentary drum-machine with throbbing bass to great effect and, elsewhere, 'The Complete Knock' combines a disco backbeat with angular guitar chords to achieve a unique, bold swagger. Hynes' ability to merge his influences so seamlessly across these tracks suggests great talent; it's in other areas that his work as Blood Orange falls short.
The successive three songs represent a depressing mid-album sag, each displaying a one-dimensional nature that highlights my main issue with this release: a distinct lack of personality. Hynes' voice does not elevate so much as fill the gaps in these songs. He has stated in various interviews his intention to represent his feminine side through Blood Orange, and - alongside its failure to translate this concept into an identifiable narrative - much of the material here does indeed seem fashioned for a female voice. The lack of colour in Hynes' delivery mars the record, encouraging the criticism that the project represents little more than a shallow exercise in pastiche.
This criticism is lent further credence midway through the closer, 'Champagne Coast', in which Hynes strips his creation back to its compositional foundations, a move that carries over to the listener not as an intentional stylistic or thematic shift, but instead as a cautious move on Hynes' part. It's as if he's tentatively checking over his shoulder that the core of the song is still in tact before building upon it. While Coastal Grooves succeeds in evoking particular atmospherics - of '80s downtown New York or of joyrides through the dark sprawl of urban nightlife - Hynes' conservative approach to song development, as evidenced here, makes for a frustrating listen. It results in a basic lack of connection with the listener. The record feels self-contained and unconcerned by its accessibility, offering smatterings of magic before retracting lazily into the background.
Ultimately, by concentrating so adamantly on perfecting the record's productive elements, Hynes forgoes emotionality, failing to breathe life into his promising material. It all sounds lush - strong melodies ooze out in a consistently appealing fashion - but the finished article suffers secondary status to an obsessive study of its individual ingredients. As a result, the record comes across like a series of promising backing tracks that lack the individuality to fully cohere and stand upright as a complete artistic statement. Sadly, Coastal Grooves falters in the hands of Hynes' meticulous approach, its contents representing the half-baked product of sketchy experimentation.