Lightspeed Champion’s MySpace page recently defined his music as a mixture of grunge, classical and reggaeton (about time someone brought those styles together, right?), though he has since amended this description to remove the last of these three. A sensible move, too, as his songs are as far removed from Sean Paul and Daddy Yankee as songs could possibly be.
This incident provides a decent insight into Lightspeed’s creative vision, though. The UK singer’s music could be defined as ambitious and overreaching, but there is something cautious and tentative at its core, which holds him back from genuine greatness. His former group, Test Icicles, were renowned for their frantic mashing-up of disparate musical styles, but any notion that this solo venture would be used as a springboard for further madcap eccentricity can be put to bed. Lightspeed is politely quirky and semi-adventurous, but seldom genuinely unhinged.
Our attention is certainly seized in the gig’s opening stages. Lightspeed takes to the stage with just a violin player in tow; the string instrument is placed right at the forefront of the mix, giving listeners the sonic impression that there is a lush, sweeping orchestra in the venue. The Champion certainly possesses a sense of melody to make the most of this grand sonic gesture, as his tunes are frequently vast and expansive.
A full band duly arrives for the second song, though the violin’s romantic swoop still takes centre-stage. There is also a nice choppy, rhythmic feel to Lightspeed’s guitar playing, which adds a pleasing sense of dynamism to his tunes.
It seems that everything is in place for a classic gig but, although the evening never undergoes any vast decline, the main attraction’s unwillingness to expand on this fantastic opening gradually relegates the show to the status of mere respectability. All the elements that made the concert’s intro special remain in place, but there is a disappointing unwillingness to provide even bigger sonic thrills; something which is surely essential for an artist who prides himself on the scale of his ambition.
By the evening’s close, Lightspeed is merely providing background music for a night out at Whelan’s. Gorgeous background music, certainly, but we were promised so much more.