aaamusic | On 23, Apr 2012

Champion is the new single from London’s Breathe Out. The band interestingly came about after James Goodhead suffered a surprising cardiac arrest in 2010. In hospital, James and Alex Clegg shared music together and discovered a mutual creativity which led to the band forming in 2011 alongside Nick Shaw and Stuart Dando.

With both Champion and its B-side, Cut Out And Keep, cutting under 3 minutes, the collective listen time of 5 minutes definitely leaves the listener wanting more. There’s something wonderfully endearing and retro about both songs. Champion opens with hazey guitars and harmonic Beach Boy ‘oohs’ which they manage to pull off effortlessly. Everything about the song is wonderfully catchy.

Both songs have a 90’s feel about them, they’re reminiscent of bands like Fountains of Wayne. They have a distinct power pop sound. Cut Out And Keep is possibly even more catchy then Champion, wonderfully infectious. The lyrics would not sound like anything terribly special on paper but they are perfectly crafted in terms of rhythm. Both songs are beautifully polished power pop and certainly worth 5 minutes of anybody’s time.

★★★★★

Rose Benge