Adopted Sheffield sons Champion Kickboxer have their debut CD out this
week. On esteemed Steel City label Thee SPC, this fragile & underrated band
twist the best bits of Teardrop Explodes, Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, Field
Music & Super Furries into new shapes to create a bizarre &
understated wall of bendy indie music. CK are supremely adept at marrying some
gorgeous otherworldly vocal harmonies (all of them sweetly sing so screw The
Futureheads etal) with cheeky stilted discordance & warped chord
progressions to test the casual listener. They were never gonna be an immediate
band these 4 chaps. It's just so heartwarming to hear a bunch of young guys
willing to take risks on their debut album. Dig deep for the satisfying rewards
this CD, 'Perforations' yields. I feel an air of magic from this CD that I
got with the Tunng albums. There's very little folk but just as much hidden
treasure & levels of softly layered soul to be found, revealing itself with
each tender play. Yes, hopefully these'll be revered long after The Long
Blondes have children & get fat.
