Pitchfork

Sure, Falling Off the Lavender Bridge is Lightspeed Champion's proper full length debut. But what of all those improper full lengths that proceded it, hmmm?

Like the song-for-song take on Green Day's Nimrod he recorded "one bored night" in his kitchen? Or the one recorded in less than five hours with GarageBand? Or the one recorded while hooked up to a plasma-giving machine? Eh, maybe that one I just made up. But there are just so many!

No matter what came before it, Lavender Bridge will indeed go down in history books as the former Test Icicle's proper full length debut when it drops February 5 on Domino Recordings. The disc features production from Bright Eyes member/frequent Saddle Creek noisemaker Mike Mogis (but you knew that), packs string arrangements from Bright Eyes utility man Nate Walcott, and proudly displays other guest appearances by members of the Faint, Cursive, and Tilly and the Wall.

Though a full U.S. tour is expected to follow the album's release, the Champion will reign over the UK and France this fall.

Falling Off the Lavender Bridge:

01 Number One
02 Galaxy of the Lost
03 Tell Me What It's Worth
04 All to Shit
05 Midnight Surprise
06 Devil Tricks for a Bitch
07 I Could Have Done This Myself
08 Salty Water
09 Dry Lips
10 Everyone I Know Is Listening to Crunk
11 Let the Bitches Die
12 No Surprise (For Wendela)/Midnight Surprise Reprise

Tour:

11-04 London, England - George IV Pub
11-09 Paris, France - Les Inrocks Festival
11-11 Birmingham, England - Academy *
11-13 Manchester, England - Academy *
11-14 Leeds, England - Leeds Metropolitan University *
11-15 Glasgow, Scotland - Barrowlands *
11-17 Middlesbrough, England - Empire *
11-21 Brighton, England - St. George ^
11-22 Exeter, England - Phoenix ^
11-23 Bristol, England - Trinity ^
11-25 Manchester, England - Lowry ^
11-26 Leicester, England - Y Theatre ^
11-27 Sheffield, England - Sheffield Memorial Home ^
11-29 Glasgow, Scotland - Oran Mor ^
11-30 Middlesbrough, England - MMA ^
12-02 London, England - Wembley Arena $
12-06 Sheffield, England - Plug
12-07 Liverpool, England - TBA
12-08 London, England - SE One

* with Good Shoes
^ with Patrick Wolf
$ with Maroon 5