Hey Champ will settle as “the third greatest thing to come out of Rockford [, Ill.]” (following, of course, Cheap Trick and a character from early 90′s hit television show “Blossom,” according to the band’s bio), but I’ll take the leap and say they’re the greatest electronic act to make their mark on 2010. 
These guys hooked me with “Cold Dust Girl,” the same single that grabbed Lupe Fiasco‘s attention and started their climb into fame. Within a month of hearing that track, Mr. Fiasco had the trio opening for him on tour. Within my first month of hearing “Cold Dust Girl,” the song hit over 50 plays in my iTunes and a new favorite band was cemented in my heart.
To my immense pleasure, the group’s first full-length album, Star, will hit stores on July 13. I’ve been listening to this album for a few weeks now, and it’s solid.
Straight up: my first couple listens left me a little disappointed. Most of what I’d heard from Hey Champ prior to Star were their DJ mixes (the Jet Set Mixtape and the Winner’s Circle Mixtape, available for free download here), which have a noticeably different tone than this album. I expected the same type of sound from Star, and only two of that album’s tracks, “Cold Dust Girl” and “Face Control” match up with the versions on Winner’s Circle. “Neverest” also crops up on Winner’s Circle, but remixed by Rawman, rather than the slower original version on Star.
So I took a couple weeks off from Hey Champ. Cleared my head of their mixes and reminded myself that most of the Mixtapes are the DJs’ mixes of other artists’ songs, which accounts for the major style difference. And then I gave Star another chance and, sure enough, I was very pleased.
Star delivers a healthy mix of faster songs suitable for club play and slower tracks perfect for late-night summer drives (oh how cliché). Though definitely electronic, a few tracks, like “Word=War,” occasionally rely on a harder rock sound. It’s an interesting juxtaposition not just throughout the album, but within individual songs themselves — and was the reasoning for part of my hesitancy to approve the album. As I’ve listened, though, those raucous bits have made their marks as endearing little Hey Champ signatures in the middle of long, synth-heavy runs.
For those with any taste at all for electronic or dance music, N.B. Hey Champ needs to make its way into your music collection pronto. For now, check the links above to grab their Mixes. Next month, get excited! and pick up Star. You’ll be happy, Hey Champ will be happy, your speakers will be happy. All-around, good deal.
Star hits stores July 13. You can pre-order the album now for just $4.99 here and immediately get the first five tracks for download.
Written by: Caitlin Dean
