Falling Off the Lavender Bridge

Lightspeed Champion | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 5, 2008)
• Original Release Date: 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Domino
• ASIN: B0011HF60K
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #184,805 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Galaxy of the Lost

2. Tell Me What It's Worth

3. All to Shit

4. Midnight Surprise: My Time Spent Down the Lavender Bridge/Oh God, Reall

5. Devil Tricks for a Bitch

6. I Could Have Done This Myself

7. Salty Water

8. Dry Lips

9. Everyone I Know Is Listening to Crunk

10. Let the Bitches Die

11. No Surprise (For Wendela)/Midnight Surprise

Editorial Reviews

Stunning 2008 debut album from London based Dev Hynes, AKA Lightspeed Champion. Recorded in Omaha by Saddle Creek's resident producer, Mike Mogis, the album is a semi-acoustic Country-Rock Folk-Pop gem that bathes in Americana . Layered with ambitious instrumentation, from strings, to cello, oboe, pedal steel, clarinet and flute, it's a gentler more contemplative sound; light years away from the Noise-Punk Metal of Dev's previous act, Test Icicles. Backed by an informal band of multi-instrumentalists Nate Walcott and Mike Mogis, the Faint's drummer Clark Baechle, and guest vocalist Emmy The Great - plus moonlighting members of Cursive and Tilly And The Wall - Dev was able to furnish his gently humorous, open-hearted songs with an unaffected warmth. Domino. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Fresh Release From an Ex Test-Icicle, April 8, 2008

By 

Sor_Fingers (Boulder, CO USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Falling Off the Lavender Bridge (Audio CD)

Lightspeed Champion is the "bandonym" of Dev Hynes, formerly of the noisy dance-punk band, the Test-Icicles. I'd never heard of the Test-Icicles before I heard this album, but let's just say that after hearing samples of their music, I know that I would never buy it. Hynes seems to be going down a much more mature musical pathway with this new endeavor. Lightspeed Champion offers a far more musical experience as we hear elegant song-writing, tongue-in-cheek lyrics and a full arsenal of instrumentation coloring the music. Hynes employs everything from strings, to winds, to pedal steel, to banjo, to mandolin, to organ. The album starts with a short intro-track that segues into "Galaxy of the Lost," a catchy poppy song that features a really great little guitar lick. Then we get "Tell Me What It's Worth," another great radio friendly single. Following that is a short interlude track, followed by the 10 minute "Midnight Surprise," which is a great well written epic, though it could use a few listens to really sense how it fits together. "Devil Tricks" is particularly creative, vocals accompanied almost exclusively by a string quartet, going back and forth from a pizzicato to bowed texture. Then the album takes another step to radio-friendliness with "I Could Have Done This Myself," which is followed by "Salty Water," using only piano and different weaving vocal parts in haunting harmonies. Then my two most favorite cuts, the driving "Dry Lips" and the fantastically sardonic break up song, "Everyone I Know is Listening to Crunk." I don't have to keep going track by track. You get the gist, this is some great, really creative stuff. Really every cut on this disc is incredibly wonderful. This one is one of those few albums out this year that I can't seem to get enough of (the other three so far are Bon Iver, The Punch Brothers and Plants and Animals, and I'm pretty sure that Vampire Weekend will make the list once I get my mitts on it). This music may not have the depth of something like Bon Iver, but it is certainly fun and well-written pop music. To say the least, I'm really excited to hear more from Dev Hynes.

4.0 out of 5 stars I'll Tell You What It's Worth, May 3, 2008

By 

B. Clark (Australia) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Falling Off the Lavender Bridge (Audio CD)

I think this album for some reason reminds me a lot of The Dears. If you were to take one look at the album cover, you'd think Lightspeed Champion is a novelty act. But you'd be wrong. There's a hell of a lot of depth and pathos to this guy's music. It is, at times, rather strong stuff.

It was still in my CD player until yesterday by the way. I only just bought Tinderstick's new album. But I assure you, this album's worth the money.

2 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars thank you!!, March 8, 2008

By 

John Taylor "jt" (studio city, ca) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Falling Off the Lavender Bridge (Audio CD)

Great album... a much needed departure from the norm and a pleasant return to music as an art form.