Music Review: Wounded Rhymes by Lykke Li

Lykke Li is a Swedish indie pop artist whose sophomore effort came out February 25. With only 10 tracks that are generally just over 3 minutes long, the 41 minute long record packs in a lot in just a little time.

There’s lots of layering going on on the album, but it makes for an ethereal effect that most current Northern European music gives off. Li has a dark and yet still somehow sort of poppy sound with a voice that is fluent and folksy. Here’s my rundown and review of each song on Wounded Rhymes.

 Youth Knows No Pain

Not sure what this song really means, but what I take from it is that the younger generation can and will do things that they may not truly believe in even though it may hurt them to do it. In the end, they know no pain.

 I Follow Rivers

It’s the phrases like “dark boom honey” that get you. I guess it’s because she’s Swedish and English is her second language, but you seem to go with it. This is also the first of several songs on the album that have an amazing, almost tribal drum beat that makes you wanna dance. This is probably my favorite track.

 Love Out of Lust

This song has a certain sweetness to it with lyrics like “We will live longer than I will/we will be better than I was.” It’s like a love between two people is a being. I’m not sure Lykke Li realizes that true love doesn’t usually come out of lust, but maybe she’s wishfully thinking.

 Unrequited Love

A flashback to the 50s when songs were simple and heartfelt and even a little “shoo wop, shoo wop” is thrown in.

 Get Some

The worst song on the record. Not because of the music by any means (and I really like the music) but you can’t really sing along to lyrics like “I’m your prostitute, you gon’ get some” without feeling just a little weird.

 Rich Kids Blues

I have no idea what this song is saying. Really.

 Sadness is A Blessing

This song just makes you want to give Lykke Li a big hug! “Sadness is my boyfriend/Oh sadness I’m your girl,” c’mon! It’s also the song we get the title of the album from – “My wounded rhymes make silent cries tonight.” It’s cute.

 I Know Places

The longest song on the album and possibly the simplest with just a guitar and piano and sparse lyrics. There’s a hopeful feel to it – the “place” is one of rest, with no pain, and essentially, a home. Toward the end of the track, the music fades into a spacier, contemplative tone without any other words that blends into the next song nicely.

 Jerome

This is the one song where you want to hear Lykke Li’s voice without all the layers. The music and tune is quite nice, but you start to wonder what her voice would be like on its own, like if it weren’t for all the layers, would you really like it? Drums and rhythm are big on this track, especially at the end.

 Silent My Song

I’m sorry, but the only thing I can think of is how she really should have used the word “silence” instead of “silent.” I mean, she’s saying “you silent my song.” On a more relevant note, the song is a good last track, but leaves you wanting more.

Music Trend: Female British Soul

My desperation to remind myself of anything to do with England (since I am still very much missing my time spent there in December) has me downloading as much English music as I can with my Rhapsody account. That being said, I’ve noticed a music trend coming out of England that seems to have started somewhere in the last decade. Trends that last that long are usually referred to as movements. And in this case, the female English soul singers certainly make you move. They make you want to belt out a song about love or love lost from the top of your lungs!

There are the quite well-known ladies the likes of Leona Lewis, Joss Stone, Natasha Bedingfield (did you know she got started recording with Hillsong London – she and her brother, Daniel Bedingfield?), and Amy Whinehouse. All of those I’ve heard some of their stuff as it has been made popular, and I’ve liked it well enough, but I suppose I’ve never felt inclined to really dive into what they have to offer. The female English singers I have recently been listening to a lot, though, I’d like to outline here for your enjoyment. Perhaps you will already know them and so here’s to sharing our interest in their music together! But if not, maybe, and my hope is, you’ll find something you really like.

Here we go. First up (because I’m going in alphabetical order) is Adele, whose album, 19 (because it seems she was only 19 at the time) I only recently downloaded though it came out in 2008. Remember “Chasing Pavements”? This is the girl.

I knew the song a little when it came out, and now I’m very glad I’ve heard the whole album before Adele comes out with her Feb 22, 2011 release of “21.” (Interesting that she seems to be naming her albums by the age she is when she writes them.)  Adele will also be on VH1′s Unplugged with a mini-concert to promote the album on March 4. One of my favorite songs from her debut album is “Cold Shoulder,” with its gotta-dance-when-I-listen-to-this sound.

2. Ellie Goulding: she only has an EP out right now (in the US), which released in 2010. Her full length Lights debuted in England also in 2010, but won’t be released in the US until March 8. (I’ll certainly be signing into Rhapsody that day.)

My bestie had apparently already heard of her (kudos, Robin), but while in England, I asked my family for some good new English music to get into. (Another one of those suggestions is next on the list.) My sister-in-law’s husband told me about this young singer with what he called an amazing voice, and I have to be a little more descriptive here, because her voice is just plain enchanting. I don’t know if I would say she has a particularly soulful voice, but I think she deserves recognition in this list either way.  I really love the song “The Writer” as its a dainty acoustic version on the EP.  Looking forward to more from Ellie this year – I read she has another album coming out in 2011 as well. Let’s hope its UK release date is the same over here!

3. Florence + the Machine. I was a little flabbergasted to know that I hadn’t been keeping up with music enough to not realize this awesome band’s 2009 appearance with Lungs.

Florence Welch, whose looks remind me of a cross between Blake Lively and Jenny Lewis, makes amazing music that brought me to tears when I got home because I missed England so much as I was listening to it.  Okay, so I experienced the album for the first time up close and loud on my mp3 player one foggy and cold morning in England when I went for a jog in my sister in law’s neighborhood by the ocean. It’s going to  flood back the memories like a “train on a track coming towards her, stuck still, no turning back” to quote the first and hugely successful song from the album, Dog Days are Over. On a funny note, I was talking to my husband and others about what song I would be if I had to choose one to represent myself at the moment, and I chose this one, saying “I don’t even know what dog days are, but I know mine are over,” from which my husband got a big laugh out of and decided to use the quote as a facebook status shortly after that. And I’ll add here, a bit randomly, that her version of “You’ve Got the Love,” is currently my ringtone for my incoming text messages. I sing every time. At any rate, the entire album is simply amazing (aside only from the lyrics on the track Kiss With a Fist, which too closely borderlines on promoting domestic abuse for me. [I feel the same way about that Rihanna and Eminem song.]) Anyway, I hope Florence comes out with a new album soon. I would gush over it.

4. Imogen Heap isn’t really soul. But she’s definitely funky in the best way possible. Her electro beats and noise combinations give her a unique sound that still hasn’t been matched since she achieved her biggest popularity with 2005′s release of Speak for Yourself with the song “Hide and Seek”.

Her 2009 album Ellipse was just as magical, and my favorite song would have to be “Aha!” because it is every bit as quirky as her earlier stuff. Imogen Heap is  haute couture.

5. Kate Nash is a little more indie pop than soul, but I’ve added her here, because I just can’t mention female English artists without mentioning her.

Even though she got her start because of Lily Allen, I’ve taken more to Kate than Lily for some reason. I’d say her 2010 release of My Best Friend is You is every bit as good as 2007′s Made of Bricks. Kate Nash’s style inspired one of my own original songs I wrote and recorded for my myspace music page, Yellow Ivy. And I don’t think I’ll ever get over her lyric “You said I must eat so many lemons / ’cause I am so bitter / I said “I’d rather be with your friends mate / cause they are much fitter” said with a London accent of course and just dripping with sarcasm. Love it.

I’m going to end the list there, but perhaps I’ll revisit it later. After all, I hope I keep finding out about new female English soul sisters! Do tell, if you like! And can I just say that 3 of the above ladies I’ve mentioned have ravishing red hair like myself. No wonder I’m drawn to them, right? I just need everyone to know that being a redhead is way cool. K, thanks.

 

Favorites this week so far

Monday was President’s Day, which meant I didn’t have to go to work. Not going to work on a weekday and it not being caused by sickness or appointment or anything else is a very good thing. This leads me to my first favorite:

The Apples in Stereo song “Go”

I can’t listen to it without getting this goofy smile on my face.

– –

I went to my husband’s facebook profile earlier tonight and saw this:

 

 

 

 

 

Do you see what I see? I had a very “wow-it’s-cool-when-random-things-in-life-line-up” moment.

– –

I hung my roses from Valentine’s Day up in our bathroom to dry.

 A dried, dead rose is just as beautiful to me as a vibrant, living one.

– –

I watched the movie The Science of Sleep last night. I loved it. From the director of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, french native Michel Gondry, brought a sense of child-like innonence to the way we view our dream world vs. our reality. I loved this movie. And a quote from Gondry tops my favorite list:

Every great idea is on the verge of being stupid.

It might be stupid first before it’s brilliant.

It’s bound to melt your heart.

Lots of heart melting going on the past two days. Here’s why: David had flowers sent to me at work on Friday. I took photos when I got home.

The bouquet is exactly what I would have picked out: classic and elegant.  I also got a box of chocolates and a pink teddy bear that night.

Today, we slept in really late and then went to the new PF Chang’s that opened near us a couple months ago. Absolutely to die for food! And overall, quite an interesting place.

Then, the big surprise of the night was going to the Asheville Symphony Orchestra’s performance FIRST LOVES, which featured pianist Angela Cheng. My favorite was the last number, Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet. Although, I couldn’t help thinking about cartoon characters during the main theme.