Single Reviews

EP Review: Lightspeed Champion – Bye Bye EP (Domino)

By | Published on Friday 17 December 2010

Lightspeed Champion

Following the release of his second long player, ‘Life Is Sweet! Nice To Meet You’, at the start of the year, Lightspeed Champion, aka Dev Hynes, returns with a new EP called ‘Bye Bye’.

It all kicks off with a cover version of The Beach Boys’ ‘Til I Die’ in which Hynes puts his own stamp on the dreamy original. Continuing on that theme, the rest of the record was arranged by composer and producer Van Dyke Parks, who has worked with the The Beach Boys as well as the likes of The Byrds, Silverchair and Joanna Newsom.

The arrangement has an abundance of luscious instrumentation which, in the main, works well with Hynes’ individualistic vocal and writing style. It’s not perfect – sometimes Parks’ contributions don’t fully connect with Hynes’ hecticness – but it’s a welcome release nevertheless, and another insight into Lightspeed’s untamed imagination, not to mention, for me at least, a great introduction to the original Beach Boys’ track. GS

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