Today, Blood Orange has announced he will be releasing his first album in six years, Essex Honey, on August 29, through RCA Records. Written, produced, and recorded by the artist, Essex Honey is a soundtrack created from a dreamscape of his journey working through grief. It is also an album about growing up in Essex (outside London) and the way music has inspired, healed and interwoven itself through Orange‘s life.

Along with the album announcement, Orange has shared the songs,“Somewhere In Between” and “Mind Loaded,” which are amazing because the lyrics on both tunes describe what the artist has been through and raw human emotions on each track brings a perspective on how hard life and grief can be for anyone.

Essex Honey is everything Orange does best and then some. Lyrically, the artist taps into the experiences of himself and his close friends by creating a love letter to his musical inspirations, including himself, wrapped in honesty. Close listens reveal refrains from some of the artists’ influences growing up, including Elliott Smith, The Replacements, and other acts, allowing him to lean backwards to his comfort listens, while moving his own sound forward.

Photo Credit: Sharon Alagna