A personal project all about places, Peaks Island and Other Places is the new album from Little Champion.

By Graeme Smith

Sometimes bright and bittersweet as in Drive and Half Moon Bae, sometimes raw and raucous as in Suburbs, and sometimes soft and melodic as in Overpass, Peaks Islands and Other Places gives us a richly varied sound across its twelve tracks.

There’s something compellingly DIY about it all. Little Champion hones in nostalgia, emotion and humour to tell his story of personal loss. Hall Tree is a jangly, textured highlight, as is the vibrant electronica of Kids in the NW. They’re contrasted nicely by gentler moments like Dinosaurs, Etc. and Rustling. So Long provides a particularly poignant closer that speaks of grief eloquently.

Led by Dustin Goldklang, Little Champion is an Asheville, North Carolina, USA-based project which draws its influence from the anti-folk scene of New York City as well as indie pop from the Pacific Northwest, DIY punk and mainstream pop.

With his new album, Goldklang has blended some surprisingly disparate genres well, never losing coherence thanks to his powerful storytelling. I found myself hooked on every note and every word as I listened. He’s got strong point of view, and a captivating way of putting things.

Peaks Island and Other Places is out now and you can give it a listen below.