New single, 'Marlene' out Jan 25th, album 'Life Is Sweet! Nice To Meet You' out Febuary 1st.

 

Dev is finally making his return after hiding away in New York making comics (which tbh makes me love him more), his first album, 'Falling Under The Lavender Bridge' is just plain amazing, if you dont have it, GET IT, it is actually amazing, I heard some of the new tracks at Reading Fest this year, they are good.

 

Hopefully a UK tour early next year looking at release dates.

 

album tracklisting:

 

'Dead Head Blues'

'Marlene'

'There's Nothing Underwater'

'Intermission'

'Faculty Of Fears'

'The Big Guns Of Highsmith'

'Romart'

'I Don't Want To Wake Up Alone'

'Madame Van Damme'

'Smooth Day (At The Library)'

'Intermission 2'

'Sweetheart'

'Etude Op.3'

'Goodnight Michalek''

'Middle Of The Dark'

'A Bridge And A Goodbye'

Ha funny trailer.

 

Love this guy, hope the album is gooood.

Single cover:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c7/Lightspeedchampionmarlene.jpg

 

Album cover:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/60/Life_is_Sweet_Nice_to_Meet_You.png

 

'Marlene' video:

 

I actually can't wait for this album. 'Falling Off the Lavender Bridge' has got to be one of my favourite albums of 2008. :wub:

Edited December 4, 200915 yr by Cremey

Cant wait for the album, if Falling Off... is anything to go by this album will be amazing, sounds like he is experimenting a bit more this time which is cool.

NME's thoughts after listening:

 

‘Dead Head Blues’

Dark foreboding riffs and minimal thumps make us think we’re in for a stripped down listen... until those huge piano chords kick in. Dev is back on top form vocally here, following some nasty throat surgery, as warm sumptuous instrumentation builds and builds, until a guitar solo screams out of nowhere, with Dev imploring, “Just let me meet this guy soon/He don’t appreciate you/I know you’ll realise that soon”. A heartbreak anthem, and then some.

 

‘Marlene’

Perhaps one of the first Hynes solo tracks you could actually attempt to dance to. It’s energetic and melodically euphoric and the boy Lightspeed really sounds like he’s having fun on this one as a huge chorus explodes backed by spiralling guitars. Extreme pop.

 

‘There’s Nothing Underwater’

Ukelele ahoy, but fear not there ain't a Mumford in sight as strings and guitars surge, followed by clarinet and pianos. This is a gorgeous ballad and when Dev sings “every second that you run away/makes me miss you more and more/haven’t eaten for days and days...” you literally want to mop his tears, wrap him in blankets and feed him pie.

 

‘Intermission’

The first of two instrumental, um, intermissions. This one is an incredibly simple and playful little keyboard ditty flanked by acoustic guitar pluckings.

‘Faculty Of Fears’

When people described LC’s new music to us as HUGE, this is what they meant right here. ‘Faculty Of Fears’ is an undeniable highlight of ‘Life Is Sweet...’; a Pythagoras-referencing epic mixing string flourishes, pizzicato and woozy guitar solos.

 

Dev cries out repeatedly, “And if your heart’s screaming take me home/Then hail a cab and please turn off your phone”, which should appeal to every screw-up who’s longed for bed and hugs after a disastrously messy night out. "Don’t you feel better staying in on your own?" he then asks. Yes Dev, yes we do...

 

‘The Big Guns Of Highsmith’

The track that proves there’s been quite a bit of Chopin-loving since we last heard from Mr Hynes. ‘The Big Guns Of Highsmith’ trills into life with a pretty piano intro and soon hits sublime town as references to Chelsea teas and Socrates combine with feet stomping rhythms and an awesome all-male chorus who repeatedly encourage Dev to stop complaining as he sings of feeling sad and dreaming of "the girl". Then there’s a strange synth electronic breakdown( very Rundgren), and is that a harp in there too? We would NOT be surprised. Utter genius.

 

‘Romart’

Now if you’re not already crushing on Dev (big glasses, silly hat, geeky threads and tattoos – what’s not to love?) you will be by the end of ‘Romart’. This is a rather lovely romantic ballad, complete with xylophone, which finds the singer talking of finding happiness with his sweetheart. "Dalston Lane seems grey/I’ve spent all my coins/I’m down to my loins/so I’ve run away to a happy ending/and a girl who won’t sin". Gorgeous.

 

‘I Don’t Want To Wake Up Alone’

Yet another corker; sometimes I listen to this extra loud and it literally makes me feel sick with joy. Do ever get that? No? Oh ok...So soaring strings abound here alongside pianos and divine harmonies as Dev pleads, "If you love me/if you want me/don’t ignore me cos I don’t want to wake up alone" and the all-male choir take the infectious track to a powerful, thundering climax. It’s like some sort of indie aria or something and is totally magical.

 

‘Madame Van Damme’

After all the intense drama and emotion leading up to this point, it’s quite a relief to find the perfect little pop nugget that is ‘Madame Van Damme’. Gritty guitars slide, beats pulse and then LC goes and asks his baby to kill him in the chorus. Basically this track reminds us that if you want straightforward traditional songwriting you’re looking in the wrong place.

‘Smooth Day (At The Library)’

A sweetly-sung ballad based around twanging acoustic guitar and piano with the odd touch of pizzicato strings. ‘Smooth Day (At The Library)’ is laid-back and almost soulful with Dev sounding again like he needs a big cuddle. Form an orderly queue, boys and girls.

 

‘Intermission 2’

Does what you'd expect: a tiny musical interlude with bashed percussion.

 

‘Sweetheart’

A country stomper which builds and builds to a dramatic climax as pianos plink and plonk, bells rattle, Dev roars and guitars howl. It’s a love song again and perhaps the most grown-up thing Lightspeed Champion has ever done.

 

‘Etude Op.3 “Goodnight Michalek”

(Nicole) Michalek is Lightspeed Champion’s current ladyfriend and this obviously classical-inspired track shows just how far he has advanced musically since we last heard from him. It’s rendered simply on piano and will have you dreaming of a Dev Hynes-penned musical or opera (Would. Be. Awesome).

 

‘Middle Of The Dark’

Quite a departure from all the orchestral elements that make up the majority of ‘Life Is Sweet...’, this track starts like an eerie film score as woozy electronics and pounding drums take it deep into space rock, and yes again, Rundgren territory. Suddenly it stops and a piano and male chorus appear followed by a bunch of squealing guitars; ‘Middle Of The Dark’ is very disjointed with musical bits and bobs cropping up all over the shop but somehow it works. Beautifully. What a way to end your second opus.

 

‘A Bridge And A Goodbye’

Sweet closer complete with pulsing bassline, beats, keyboards and guitar, and oh what a journey we have been on. Instrumental intermissions, piano etudes, space rock, chamber pop, this is super-assured.

 

I actually can't wait for this! :o

Definitely my most anticipated release of next year so far.

Download his bootleg album 'house sitting songs' here: http://www.lightspeedchampion.com/profiles...sesitting-songs

 

I wish it would download for me though, $h!t internet + zshare = about 10 attempts of downloading not working, got to wait for someone to reup.

album leaked.

:o

 

OFF TO DOWNLOAD.

 

i like it quite a bit. not as good as the first album, but still ace.

for your information; i haz done a review of the album; read it here: http://www.buzzjack.com/reviews/Life-Is-Sw...et-You-r50.html

Really impressed with this. Find it a lot easier to listen to than his debut. Opener, 'Dead Head Blues' is my favorite