Hynes offers Britpop and Americana blend

On Falling Off the Lavender, Hynes tackles personal and societal issues.

By Antoine Kalewicz

Published Feb. 8, 2008

Posing for his album cover in front of a bright blue background that contrasts strongly with the vermilion cardigan and the golden bowtie that Steve Urkel would never have sported, Devonte Hynes, only 22 years old, is the new English sensation of the year, the author of the astonishing Falling Off The Lavender Bridge.

As his oddly retro album cover suggests, Hynes, also known as Lightspeed Champion, likes to surprise his audience. Since his beginnings as a member of the furious English punk-dance band Test Icicles, which some journalists have credited for the invention of the controversial movement New Rave, a combination of dance, rock and the beats of the original English rave scene of the late 80s, Hynes has definitely grown up and written one of the most beautiful surprises of this year’s beginning.

Hynes gives the impression on his first solo album that he broke up with his New Rave past to focus on pop music.

Born in Houston, Texas, but raised in Great Britain, Hynes seems to put every element of his life into his music. He uses American country music’s emblematic instrument, the pedal steel, in a few songs such as the album’s opening “Number One” and the well-named, 10-minute long “Midnight Surprise.”

Most of his inspiration comes from England, and his music is incredibly reminiscent of English “pop encyclopedia” Elvis Costello’s music. Thus, this album is a real patchwork of Americana and Britpop. This LP is even more of a patchwork because of Hynes’ cooperation with numerous friends from different musical backgrounds, such as Florence and The Machine and UK singer/songwriter Emmy the Great.

Falling Off is a fantastical pop odyssey in which Hynes displays all his storytelling skills to narrate whatever pops into his mind. Like his daily blog that includes descriptions of such trivial things as hurting his toe, his songs are very personal. For example, “I Could Have Done This Myself” deals with the loss of his virginity. And yet, the lyrics are completely anchored in the actuality, and deeper than what most pop artists present to their the audience.

Moving away from the precious and pretentious Britpop, Hynes succeeds where most of the current artists fail. He unexpectedly manages plenty of instruments (guitars, drums, pianos, pedal steel, clarinet, bassoon, oboe ...) and still gives the impression that his compositions are the real thing. Filled with guitar/drums riffs and a magnificent chorus, the hook-saturated “Dry Lips” is a marvelous pop nugget. “Midnight Surprise,” seemingly made up of three well-arranged songs in one, is incontestably one of the most astonishing songs of the moment. It proves that Hynes is unclassifiable.

Some of the songs, such as the repetitive and depressing “Salty Water,” are weaker, but when you still feel the same excitement after the tenth listen, it is proof that this album is a strong one.