Sam Champion – Slow Rewind

Stephen Malkmus’ charming progeny make good

Comparing Manhattan indie heroes Sam Champion to Pavement is totally fair, albeit silly. Songwriter Noah Chernin’s laconic urban warble can barely mask his cunning melodies and attentive constructions. “We like it slow / and so it goes,” Chernin chants on the title track, which folds from a lazy jangle to a molassified outro. “You Can’t See The Stars In This Town,” meanwhile, is swayingly citybound C&W, affixed with a stunning Dixieland crescendo. Producer (and Guster drummer) Brian Rosenworcel’s orchestrations tease out Chernin’s uncluttered hooks with subliminally thick grace. Concise and affable, Slow Rewind is an impressive debut.