2007 saw the emergence of willowy vocalist Lykke Li, who coincidently joins fellow Scandinavian El Perro del Mar on tour this year. Fresh from her previous releases, ‘Little Bit’ and ‘I’m Good I’m Gone’, Lykke Li is already appreciated for her ability, luring the likes of Black Kids and Metronomy remixing her latter single. Youth Novels takes us into a warm daydream illuminating any looming shadows of summer.
‘Melodies and Desires’ opens the album reminiscent of 90’s calming exercises with soothing keys and lyrics “Follow these instructions and do exactly as I do”. Lykke Li’s husky enumerations “Love is the melody now sing it with me,” entices us without questioning and with that we fall down the rabbit hole, engulfing ourselves in musical fantasy. Landing ready to adventure, the reward is plucking guitars and thriving instrumentals in ‘Dance, Dance, Dance’, transforming the hesitative vocals to swirl in song by the end of the track. As in these tracks, a rhythmic bass line is continuous throughout the album, uniting a sound distinctly of the vocalist, but ultimately it is Lykke Li’s voice that seals her melodic narratives.
Whether it is merely the language translation, or in fact clever words, Lykke Li contrasts her sweet singing with surprising lyrics. ‘Little Bit’ gets us gasping with provocative demands of love: “And for you I keep my legs apart” alongside flowing percussion. ‘Let it Fall’ lyrically celebrates the bittersweet satisfaction from having a good ole weep, integrated with chipper drums and wood block. There’s no mistake that “So I weep” rings as “So happy-y” at first listen, illustrating Lykke Li’s smiling sadness in her songs.
Yet Lykke Li veers her album in different direction with ‘This Trumpet in My Head’, a hypnotic interlude using classical guitar, haunting trumpet and basic lyrics. The Stockholm singer produces an unexpected track revealing the experimental potential of this artist. ‘Breaking It Up’ is a mix of this experimental promise with distorted vocals and child-like choral layers. Alike to French band CocoRosie, Lykke Li sings with breathless grace in her track ‘Time Flies’. This track seems perfect to conclude Youth Novels, though its ‘Window Blues’ that is given this responsibility, which instead leaves the album lingering. Lykke Li harmonises sultry humming with piano blues, rejecting upbeat melody as a disguise of the darker side to the artist. The sinister contradictions ‘‘don't lose your selfish ways for me,” but “I keep a leash around you,” secure Lykke Li as an artist combining emotions, ideas and music that favorably clash. Youth Novels rejoices creativity and Lykke Li certainly knows what she’s doing clear with the last effortless lyrics on the album “oh, keep me on your mind”, and you know what, she’s right. - Gemma Dempster
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