Dev Hynes certainly is the man of the moment. His new band “Lightspeed Champion” is certainly a massive departure from his previous Nu Rave incarnation the Test Icicles. In less than a year Dev has moved on to create a very subtle and beautiful album. Lightspeed Champions debut album “Falling off the Lavender Bridge” has received rapturous reviews from most areas of the music press and is already being lauded as album of the year. Certainly if you like Belle and Sebastian, The National, Arcade Fire or even Prefab Sprout this will come as a welcomed surprise.
Watching Dev at the Zodiac Club in Oxford on the first night of their latest tour it’s very difficult to associate him with his old band and indeed the scene which many recognise that he and his former Klaxon housemate, Simon Taylor-Davis, were responsible for creating. Watching the audience who are largely made up of 18 year olds you can tell that many of them have mixed feelings, or don’t really understand what they are watching. Bottom line Dev Hynes is a true talent and he will probably will find that this album will appeal to a much wider and older audience. My recommendation would be to download it now from iTunes, at £6 it’s a bargain and is full some of the best pop songs that you will hear all year! I have added a link to the video of the single “tell me what it’s worth”.
Written by John Rahim