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Avg: 4.0 (39 ratings)
- Date Released: September 24, 2007
- Genre: Alternative/Punk
- Style: Alternative
- Label: Domino Recording Co
An indie-pop record that moves with the rhythms of a lazy, pensive Sunday afternoon.
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We Say...
When the UK dance-punk trio Test Icicles broke up on the heels of their 2005 debut, guitarist Devonte Hynes traded his battle ax for a steel-petal guitar and ditched Bacchus in favor of sober realism as his muse. Or so it seems, given the sound of his solo debut, Falling Off the Lavender Bridge. It's an indie-pop record that tarries with alt-country, folk, chamber pop, even musical theater, moving with the rhythms of a lazy, pensive Sunday afternoon.
Though the British Hynes wrote Bridge's songs, the album was engineered in America's heartland, with Saddle Creek resident producer Mike Mogis and featuring cameos from Faint drummer Clark Baechle and members of Tilly and the Wall and Cursive. Brimming with lush instrumentals — along with the occasional profane lyric, usually uttered in frustration with the opposite sex and Hynes' own perceived shortcomings — Falling is cogent, unabashedly melodic and stridently, sometimes painfully, earnest. While the music is relentlessly upbeat, Hynes funnels the renowned Test Icicle brashness into his lyrics. "It's All Shit," a whimsical woodwind interstitial a la Masterpiece Theater, rides up against Hynes' angst-ridden words, cribbed from the bathroom walls of Conor Oberst's horny alter-ego. Such contrast can be unsettling, but real art doesn't hew to propriety or emotional restraint. -
They Say...
Leaving the noisy terrain of the Test Icicles behind for the more relaxed territory of the singer/songwriter didn't exactly mellow Dev Hynes. For sure, the sound of his new project, Lightspeed Champion, is softer, with violins, pedal steel, and tender female vocal harmonies (sung by London folk singer Emmy the Great) among other traditional singer/songwriter favorites providing the cottony backing. Recording in Omaha with Mike Mogis (who's run the boards for loads of indie rockers, most notably Bright Eyes) and using a conglomeration of musicians from Tilly and the Wall, the Good Life, and the Faint, it would be hard to come up with a sound that didn't conjure up Bright Eyes and their ilk. It's a rich and cinematic sound with plenty of lovely playing and deft arrangements, made more listenable by Hynes' pleasant melodies. So the sound is softer and the melodies are nice, but Hynes lyrics speak of turmoil and struggle. Indeed, Hynes is not a happy camper. Licking open wounds, being sick in other people's mouths, scratching out eyes, stapling down eyes, being bathed in cold sweat, and shaking with tension are just some of the happy topics Hynes touches on. He generally sounds miserable and depressed as hell; sometimes angry ("Devil Tricks for a Bitch"), sometimes snarky and mean ("Let the Bitches Die"), sometimes just plain morose ("All to Shit"). The disconnect between the gentle and welcoming music and the tense, off-putting lyrics can be a bit much and Hynes is only too aware of this, seeming to take perverse pleasure in going as far as he can lyrically. This underlying sense of humor is one of the saving graces of the record; another is the number of really good songs that don't worry about being "difficult" and reach for real emotions. The melancholy tale of missed love connections "Everyone I Know Is Listening to Crunk" is one of these; "No Surprise" is another. Overall though, Falling Off the Lavender Bridge is a bit of a slog to get through. Maybe amping up the music to match the tone of the lyrics might have given the record the kick it needed; perhaps cutting back on the lyrical excess would have been the fix. Whatever the case may be, what's left is a record with some promise but too many flaws to be truly enjoyable.
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| 01. |
Number One |
0:24 |
|
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| 02. |  |
Galaxy of the Lost |
3:57 |
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| 03. | |
Tell Me What It's Worth |
2:40 |
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| 04. | |
All to Shit |
1:11 |
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| 05. | |
Midnight Surprise: My Time Spent Down the Lavender Bridge/Oh God, Reall |
9:55 |
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| 06. | |
Devil Tricks for a Bitch |
4:39 |
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| 07. | |
I Could Have Done This Myself |
3:17 |
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| 08. | |
Salty Water |
2:26 |
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| 09. | |
Dry Lips |
3:45 |
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| 10. | |
Everyone I Know Is Listening to Crunk |
3:02 |
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| 11. | |
Let the Bitches Die |
2:37 |
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| 12. | |
No Surprise (For Wendela)/Midnight Surprise |
5:06 |
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12 Total Tracks, 42:59 Total Length
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Credits
- Matt Cooper - Design // Matt Cooper - Images // Karen Murphy - Flute // Tracy Sands - Strings // Kimberly Salistean - Strings // Mike Mogis - Producer // Mike Mogis - Engineer // Mike Mogis - Mixing // Clark Baechle - Drums // Kianna Alarid - Vocals // Tim Kasher - Vocals // Joe Knapp - Vocals // Nate Walcott - Arranger // Nate Walcott - String Arrangements // Mark Benson - Clarinet // Derek Pressnall - Vocals // Donna Carnes - Strings // Devonte Hynes - Photography // Tom Clarke - Cello // Nik Fackler - Vocals // Miguel Picanco - Oboe // Cynthia Ricker - Strings // Ophelia Wynne - Photography // Ophelia Wynne - Portrait Photography
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