How will you spend your Thanksgiving break?
Lightspeed Champion
"Life is Sweet! Nice to Meet You"
4 stars
Devonté Hynes donned the name Lightspeed Champion after renouncing his dance punk band, Test Icicles, in the mid-'00s. With his new musical project, he's ironed over the flailing guitars and screeching vocals of his former act with proper British mannerisms. But on his second full-length album, "Life is Sweet! Nice to Meet You," he once again manages to avoid genre constraints, exploring everything from alt-country folk tunes and new-wave pop to contemporary classical instrumentation.
The album's single, "Marlene," is also its most dynamic track, dancing between varying time signatures and structures without becoming overly challenging. The tune remains melodic and does so with a simple country-tinged flair, building on a stinging lyrical sentiment: "Stick a spoon into your heart / and eat away all your Deutsche Marks / your money don't mean a damn thing / I'm wearing everything I own / Stop being cool." The music and lyrics inversely compliment each other, creating a bittersweet combination that gives body to the notion "life is sweet."
That potential catalyst for mainstream fame is followed by the much softer "There's Nothing Underwater," which comes complete with ukulele and sleigh bell. Being depressed never sounded so sweet; over quiet melodies, Hynes repeats "I miss you" in harmony.
The new album is a complete departure from "Falling Off the Lavender Bridge," Lightspeed's overwhelmingly safe debut folk record, and its juxtaposition of many different styles could give the listener an impression of being spread too thin. Still, the diversity is refreshing, especially when compared with a purebred specimen of dulled-over indie folk.
Big, broad and bold, the orchestral movements on "Life is Sweet! Nice to Meet You" never seem to give way, resulting in a beautifully intelligent soundscape. And to address the album title, the pleasure is ours.
