Lightspeed Champion returns with Life Is Sweet! Nice To Meet You
After spending some time collaborating with Basement Jaxx, Dev Hynes, aka Lightspeed Champion, is ready to jump back into the solo game as he’ll look to followup his 2008 debut, Falling off the Lavender Bridge, early next year.
On February 1st (in the U.K.) and 16th (in the U.S.) (via Domino Records), the U.K. native will offer Life Is Sweet! Nice To Meet You, a collection of twelve pop songs, two instrumental intermissions, and one piano étude. In addition, the effort, which was produced by Ben Allen (Animal Collective and Gnarls Barkley), promises to feature Greek choruses, 70s rock guitar, and a ukelele, making this surely one of the most unique albums that will be heard in 2010.
Ahead of the release, Light Speed Champion will release the album’s lead single, “Marlene”, January 25th. Available as a 10″ or digital download, the single will sport three b-sides — a concerto; a cover of Serge Gainsbourg’s “69 Année Erotique” (completely in French!) and his version of “(He’s) The Great Imposter”, written in 1961 by eighteen-year old Sharon Sheeley, the fiancé and songwriter of Eddie Cochran. Now, for a tease…
Life Is Sweet! Nice To Meet You Tracklist:
01. Dead Head Blues
02. Marlene
03. There’s Nothing Underwater
04. Intermission
05. Faculty Of Fears
06. The Big Guns Of Highsmith
07. Romart
08. I Don’t Want To Wake Up Alone
09. Madame Van Damme
10. Smooth Day (At The Library)
11. Intermission 2
12. Sweetheart
13. Etude Op.3 ‘Goodnight Michalek’
14. Middle Of The Dark
15. A Bridge And A Goodbye
“Marlene” Tracklist:
01. Concerto .2 “So Long! So Long!”
02. Marlene
03. 69 Année Érotique (feat. Valentine Fillol-Cordier)
04. (He’s) The Great Imposter
Oh my god first of all I am beyond excited. I was just listening his debut album when I read this article, and it’s still right up there as one of the best of the past few years.
I’m hopefully going to see him live in a couple of weeks- I saw him about a year ago and took 4 rips of his live tracks, and Marlene was one of them. It sounds almost identical on record… I also heard Madame Van Damme which was quite impressive, but he has obviously left out the famous star wars theme tune and interpretation of Happy Birthday. It’s definitely moving in a punkier, heavier direction for the second album, which suits me down to the ground!
Either way, I’m so stoked this is finally arriving… apparently he had written all the songs about a week after his debut dropped. The wait has been agonising…
Why does the newly invented phrase “Eastwood Punk” pop up in my head when I watch the teaser and browse the tracklist? Mr. Hines, what do you say?