Lightspeed Champion - Falling Off The Lavender BridgeOnce in a blue moon I stumble upon something truly extraordinary that makes me wonder how easy it seems to make great music. Devonte Hynes of Test Icicles just makes it look so easy oin his debut LP. Sure it's a few months old, but most people haven't even heard of him anyway so I thought I'd write a short post about him.
Lightspeed Champion, a fictitious childhood hero created by Hynes, is the name for his band. Produced by Mike Mogis, the man also behind Tilly and the Wall and Bright Eyes, Falling Off Lavender Bridge sounds familiar, but is just original enough that it doesn't blend in with all of the genres it borrows from in creating its own unique sound.
With a mix of indie pop, orchestral pop a-la-Vampire-Weekend, and country tinges similar to Bright Eyes, Falling Off The Lavender Bridge is truly one of my favorite records this year so far.Hynes' voice is similar to Kele Okereke's of Bloc Party, and I find that it meshes perfectly with the background violins, acoustic guitar, and other instruments in ways I didn't think a voice like that would be able to. Also, the record is very accessible, but not so much so that its corny. With gems like "Dry Lips," "Everyone I Know I Listening to Crunk," and "Midnight Surprise," I immediately loved the album, something that rarely happens with me. Take a listen to Dry Lips for free on his last.fm page. As soon as I heard the drum beat kick in, I knew it was going to be a memorable experience.
As you can see in the picture, Hynes appears to don a ukulele but it's nowhere to be found on the album! At least he holds the thing.
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