The Cold Cut

Watch this band. If you do anything today, make sure you check out Lightspeed Champion. I can tell you now, without a shadow of a doubt, that Dev Hynes is going to be big. As in, he will be remembered as one of 'the great British songwriters'.

Explain? Well, a few months ago at the Paradiso, they blew me away. I've been a fan since Dev's Test Icicles days, but I still wasn't expecting this quality of performance. At around 8 PM, Dev (complete with fur hat) and his band strolled on stage, with no ostentation. None materialised through the set. He had this aura of 'niceness', and was totally chilled: 'so, what have you guys been up to today?' was the opener. Each song was ended with 'thanks everyone'. Here's a clear example of someone unaffected by fame (reassuring, considering there's much more to come). I hope Dev reads this- not an unreasonable expectation considering he commented on one of my earliest posts about Lightspeed Champion.

Thankfully, his stage presence isn't all I have to rave about. The music itself was brilliant. The band- Dev and his band (drums, bass and violin) swept through a well balanced set, with oodles of character and charm. Oh, and just to clarify something, Dev is really, really, really good at guitar. This doesn't come across in the record, and makes the live performance a lot more exciting. His backing band are much the same. With a trio of drums, violin and bass, and Dev himself switching between guitars and piano, the album is fully fleshed out.

The band previewed 3 new songs: although he's still touring the new album, Dev has already finished the follow-up (an inclination of how much music he writes). The set began with 'Happy Birthday', a song similar in sound to Midnight Suprise, with some nice development: the song starts with frantic picking and then settles into a steady rhythm. These news songs help us to form an idea of how good he will eventually be- over the course of the tour, he has already become much more of a showman, and new musical skills are being picked up every day.

Lightspeed Champion- Happy Birthday (Live At Paradiso) (Link 2)

Dev also reproduced the now famous cover of 'Heart In A Cage', which is all the more impressive live. It arrives half way through the 16 song set. Sat alone on the stage, he cuts a sharp profile, and more than matches Julian Casablancas for pathos.

The second new song was 'Marlene' a 'funky' number that a more upbeat backing and some different lyrical topics: 'stick a spoon into your heart, and eat away all your Deutschmarks. Your money don't mean a damn thing. I'm wearing everything I own... Stop being cool'. The song also features a crazy solo by Dev at the end: no joke, he shreds!

Lightspeed Champion- Marlene (Live At Paradiso) (Link 2)

'Madame Van Damme' is another song likely to find it's way onto his new album. I admit I wasn't as blown away by the lyrics of this song as the other new additions, but it's still likely to be a hit when put through the recording process; that was only the fourth time it had been played live. The guitars are very retro, and the refrain has Dev repeating 'kill me, baby wont you kill me'. I'm not going to post it just yet, and final judgment will have to wait until I get my hands on the album version.

The set is full of character; from their rendition of the Star Wars theme (amazing)- which was joined together with a certain 10 minute opus- to the quips between each song,

Lightspeed Champion- Star Wars Medley (Link 2)

During 'Midnight Surprise', their pre-encore song, the band went a little psycho, and the music suddenly stopped. The band looked around, confused: 'Oops, I think we just blew out the power! That, guys, is the power of rock music'. After a few seconds of repairs, the playing resumed, and the band got right back into their breakdown.

Lightspeed Champion didn't have anything to prove to me at this gig. As I've said and will keep on saying: they're on the cusp of huge things, and are going to make a difference, whether or not the general audience admits it. As a band, Lightspeed Champion have it all: versatility (switching between instruments), depth (in the lyrics), impact (Dev), talent and tunes. Now all they need is an audience big enough to appreciate that fact.

'Falling Off The Lavender Bridge' can be purchased at Amazon. Dev's blog is a great read, and his official Myspace often features free Lightspeed Champion downloads. Photos courtesy of Tonie. Visit Fabchannel to watch the concert!

Rating: A charming, almost perfect debut

Dev Hynes is a pretty special person. You might say I'm jumping the gun here, but on the evidence of Test Icicles and his new Lightspeed Champion album, he's not going anywhere other than up. In reference to the title, given the multi-genre nature of Test Icicles and his acoustic pop/folk solo project, Lightspeed Champion, Dev is one of the first artists to succeed in so many different genres, and also make such a big musical turnaround.

I remember when Test Icicles first graced the Radar section of NME, and I clearly recall reading an article in which Dev was accused of spending too much time on MySpace. The page was headed by an image of the three, with Dev holding a fluorescent pink guitar. Incidentally, the article prompted me to check Test Icicles out, and whilst I wasn't massively impressed by the band (other than a couple of ace songs), the premise was intriguing. His Test Icicles band-mates may have been right about his MySpace obsession, but even back then, he had the right idea. Even now, Dev regularly writes and updates his Lightspeed Champion blog, a great read. He obviously understands the importance of web media- something I really respect- and even commented on one of my posts about him (what a legend!), see here.

'Falling Off The Lavender Bridge' is one of the first great albums of 2008, and really warrants no complaints. From start to finish, I really couldn't find any glaring issues or emissions, and for Dev, this album is a brilliant introduction, complete and showing much potential on his part. In time, he may develop into one of the 'great' British songwriters.

On the 12 songs here, Devonte seriously flexes his lyrical muscles, with some witty, quirky and compelling verses. 'Galaxy Of The Lost', wrapped up as a sweet pop song, caused me to almost fall off my chair when the line "as we kiss, and I'm sick in your mouth" popped up. These surprising moments are oft repeated, such as on the 10 minute 'Midnight Surprise', which features the lyrics:
“I’m waiting in silence
And cloaking my violence
You, almost encourage
My happiness, but I know best
Wake up, smell the semen”
Epic and meandering, 'Midnight Surprise', the 2nd single, starts off tender, and builds, builds and builds to a rollicking finale. Most of the lyrics on this album are universally accessible, but there are a few exceptions to this:
"Come over
I just got the new O.C.
And if they can sort their problems out
Why can't I get out the house?"

Kudos must go to the backing band, comprised of some big names (in their own right), including Emmy The Great and Florence (of Florence And The Machine). However, there have been some unjustified claims that the backing vocals make the tracks, and I just want to clear these up. If you cut the production, backing and guest vocals out, leaving only Dev and his guitar, it would still be Lightspeed Champion.

The only reason this album doesn't achieve a perfect rating is the simple fact that one of my favourite songs, 'Waiting Game', was left off the album. Regardless, the 12 tracks on this album are all worthy of their selection, other than the slightly misfiring 'Salty Water'... The ones to check out if you're short of time are 'Everyone I Know Is Listening To Crunk', completely effortless brilliance, and 'Dry Lips', a song simply about the last time Dev had a hangover. Sounds basic, but the simplicity and honesty make it stand out...

Test-Icicles fans may be surprised and -possibly- outraged by 'Falling Off The Lavender Bridge'. I challenge you, listen to 'For Screening Purposes Only' followed by Lightspeed Champion's debut, and try and find a musician who has undergone a bigger transformation than Dev. In the short time between bands, he has regrouped and undergone a huge change of musical direction. His history as a Test Icicle will make his (now guaranteed) rise to the top of the folk/pop ladder one of the most unlikely to occur, in the history of music. There isn't anyone around at the moment with this level of talent, and more worthy of success. Good luck with it Dev, and keep the music coming...

Lightspeed Champion- Everyone I Know Is Listening To Crunk
Lightspeed Champion- Midnight Surprise

'Falling Off The Lavender Bridge' can (and should be!) purchased here