Rockin' Our Turntable: Lykke Li

By Tankboy in Arts & Entertainment on Aug 20, 2008 7:07PM

We're beginning to wonder what they feed babies in Sweden since they all seem to grow up into pop producing monster machines. From ABBA to The Hives to Peter Bjorn and John and now to Lykke Li. Li is a 22-year-old overachiever eager to gain popularity and capable of crafting the sort of vehicle primed to vault her into the spotlight. Her debut Youth Novels, largely produced by Björn Yttling of the aforementioned Peter Bjorn and John, is an impressive collection of rhythmically driven pop tunes.

The opener, "Melodies & Desires," is built on slinky tendrils of gently overlapping tones, plinks, and plonks over which Li lays simple repeated phrases before the song makes way for the deceptively simple and winningly bare "Dance, Dance, Dance." At this point you'd be forgiven for expecting the entire album to be a fairly laidback Sunday afternoon-listening sort of affair, but that's right when Li launches the explosively danceable "I'm Good, I'm Gone" on you.

From that point on the album dabbles in a number of genres -- the gospel of "My Love," the orch-folk of "This Trumpet in My Head," the stripped down Phil Spector girl-group of "Everybody But Me" -- but the one thing holding it all together in Li's breathy and winsome voice. It's a powerful instrument capable of conveying both wide dew-eyed innocence and slyly winking sexual confidence. This combination, blended with the smart arrangements of her songs, serve to create an album that lays out a clear path to winning over listeners with wit, intelligence, and sweet smarts.

Lykke Li's debut Youth Novels is out now and she'll be appearing in Chicago at The Empty Bottle on October 25, but we recommend getting your tickets now

Photo from Lykke Li's MySpace page by Marcus Palmqvist