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| Lykke Li - Youth Novels; Lykke Li - Youth Novels review | |
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| Topic Started: Jun 3 2008, 12:02 PM (123 Views) | |
| zeitgeist | Jun 3 2008, 12:02 PM Post #1 |
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Lykke Li - Youth Novels Twenty one year old Swede, Lykke Li Timotej Zachrisson, has been causing quite a stir amongst the scene setters of late, what with her cutesy girly whispery indie poppery, all fragile and fey. All helped along by Björn Yttling of Peter, Bjorn & John sitting in the production chair. When it was released in Sweden, the album wne straight in at number one, and now it's making its way over here on the back of some massive internet hypery. Vocally, she makes the like of Kate Nash seem positively uproarious, what with the aforementioned cutesy, girly whispery either endearing or grating throughout the album, depending on how you see the peculiar affection elements of the record buying public seem to have for grown up women masquerading as pre-pubescent girls. And if that were all she had, this record would have landed in the pile of CDs marked for destruction by hammer. But she also does the kooky thing. You know, the one patented by Bjork, where off kilter rhythms crash into each other, and the vocals seem to belong to a different song altogether. Something else that brings the word 'hammer' to mind. Then, to top things off, you realise that Swedish pop svengali, Lasse Mårtén, is also along for the ride. That's the same bloke that was responsible for Kelly Clarkson’s massive moment of genius, 'Since U Been Gone'. All of a sudden, the whole indie outsider shibboleth comes crashing down, as she reveals herself to be carefully cultivating the perfect 21st century pop persona. Which actually makes her, and her music, a whole lot more interesting. The recipe seems to go Robyn + Bjork + Pop Princess = Euros. But if the music is worthless, the formula won't work. Regretably, it often is. Songs like 'Let It Fall' seem to consist of repetitive beats and childlike lyrics, extended beyond their natural lifespan. However, she / they sometimes find a wee jazzy lilt that helps move the songs in a more interesting manner, as on 'My Love'. And then you get a song like 'Tonight' where, stripped down to a plaintive piano accompaniment, the repitition actually becomes hypnotic. There are bits and bobs scattered through the album that make you think there may be something extraordinary lurking around the corner. The harpsichord arrangement on 'Hanging High', the dank and slightly morbid 'Window Blues', which bears a passing resemblance to a pixie fronting the Bad Seeds; these are the little twists that make you wish the whole added up to more. Fans who were drawn in by the heavily promoted internet single 'Little Bit' may find a lot of this heavy going, compared to its clinical, electro-pop beats. The rest of us may just end up confused. Buy from Amazon |
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8:26 PM Nov 24
