Lightspeed Champion - Life Is Sweet! Nice To Meet You
Sunday, January 24, 2010 at 12:32AM 
For his second album under the Lightspeed Champion moniker, former Test Icicle Devonté Hynes delivers what his label has called an "eclectic grab-bag of influences", further cementing his reputation for idiosyncracy. Those who picked up Hynes' debut Falling Off The Lavender Bridge expecting the jittery dance-punk of Test Icicles found themselves holding an LP of troubadour-style ballads, prompting Pitchfork reviewer Joshua Love to offer, "the way Hynes has transitioned from disco-thrash to roots-pop, I suppose it's possible his next record might be hair metal laced with r&b or punk-rock opera." Had Love suggested "jangly emo surf-croon" he would be feeling very smug right now, indeed, as that's the least-hyphenated approximation we can distill for Life Is Sweet! Nice To Meet You. Lightspeed Champion's MySpace classifies it as classical/power pop/surf, but neither of those attempts at classification is likely to generate truly accurate approximations from the reader.
All tracks, including a piano étude (!) are written and arranged by Hynes with producer Ben Allen (Animal Collective, Gnarls Barkley) helping to realize his broad tastes and dry humor. Hynes' cheeky songs borrow heavily from doo-wop, chamberpop, film soundtracks, and early rock'n'roll, and lightly from an almanac of other genres, paying homage while poking fun at their tropes, and he alternately sings like the British Bright Eyes or like a cocky karaoke singer doing a Roy Orbison impression. If it all sounds a bit silly, it is. One look at the Spaghetti Western/Bollywood video for lead single "Marlene" (after the jump) should tell you that Hynes is not a man to take himself - or much else - seriously. Although the album is ambitious in scope and size and genuine in its fondness for its influences, the songs are realized with an almost irreverent effortlessness that suffuses them with undeniable charm.
Lightspeed Champion - Devil In Disguise (From Life Is Sweet! Nice To Meet You)
Photo Credit: Nina Stiller
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