CHAMPS

If ever there was a band born to succeed, then it must be Champs.

Michael and David Champion (see what they did there?) have made small ripples in the musical ocean before with their debut album, though their second effort ‘Vamala’, out on the 23rd February, should prove to tip them over the edge and see them lapping at the shores of more mainstream success.

Their lo-fi electro-indie sound is deeply reminiscent of Cherry Ghost and the anthemics of The Big Pink but with a slightly more sensitive edge.

On ‘Blood’, the brothers delve into realms of shuddering feedback and pounding drums with a melancholic guitar line that punctuates the verses with its weeping tones.

For those who might be thinking that this is tried and tested ground though, there’s something magical to enjoy in Champs’ unusual vocal style, which is neither brash nor overly sensitive.

Instead, their voices drift over the song languidly and provide a different dimension to a well-trodden genre, elevating the duo above their peers.

Words by Eugenie Johnson

Tipped by Aled Chivers