Advance hype fueled by the Little Bit EP had Lykke Li pegged as the next in a growing string of cool-kid-approved perfect-pop fixes to leak out from Sweden's endless supply, but Youth Novels doesn't entirely play out as expected, emphasizing neither Robyn's electronic dance-pop precision nor the affable strumming of Jens Lekman or Peter Björn and John (whose Björn Yttling handles production duties here, and also co-wrote every track). Although it does bear some traces of those approaches, as well as El Perro Del Mar's earnest melancholia, the album is decidedly odder and harder to pin down, proffering an idiosyncratic, stripped-down vision of pop that foregrounds repetition and simplicity over familiarity or even melody (though rest assured, there is ample catchiness to be had here). The graceful symphonic layering of the beat-less, spoken-word opener "Melodies and Desires" starts things off on a deceptively lush note, but much of the album is about as instrumentally sparse as pop can get, often sounding as though it were cobbled together from a scrap yard of barely functioning instruments and non-instruments. The painfully introverted hip-shaker of "Dance Dance Dance" ("my hips they lie/cause in reality I'm shy shy shy") lilts atop an aptly minimalist groove consisting of nothing but two insistently bowed bass notes, some found-sounding percussion, and a brief sax solo, while even the assertive standout "I'm Good, I'm Gone" gets by on little more than hand claps, driving drums, a bit of vibraphone doubling, and a simple bass line pounded out on a piano's lower register. These and the similarly skeletal arrangements that make up much of the album are deployed inventively enough that they rarely feel incomplete, but they're effective mainly because they keep the focus squarely on Lykke Li's understated yet captivating vocals. It's a daringly direct approach that emphasizes Li's marked emotionality (which runs the range from tenderness to bitterness), and allows songs to succeed -- or, rarely, flounder -- on their merits. When the songwriting ideas are strong (the aforementioned pair, the sparsely funky "Let It Fall" and especially the naggingly effective "Little Bit"), stripped-down arrangements and repetitive simplicity do nothing to stem their appeal, while "Hanging High" mostly plods and even the relative fullness of "My Love," with its strings and weirdly bleating group vocal, can't do much to make up for its dud chorus. A couple of curveballs come late in the running order -- the inexplicable Spanish guitar fantasia "This Trumpet In My Head," the jittery, mostly electronic kiss-off "Complaint Department" (which is cuter than it probably ought to be, but enjoyably snarky and faux-menacing nevertheless), and finally the resoundingly poppy "Breaking It Up," which is easily the album's biggest-sounding moment, complete with strings, chunky piano and exuberantly ramshackle group vocals. Brimming with ideas but understated, even tentative in executing them, and big on hooks but nervously intimate in presentation, Youth Novels is a curious, decidedly unorthodox but endearing record. Both youthful and novel -- Li was twenty-one upon its release, which may explain both her occasional goofy vocal affectations and the hesitant freshness of her sound -- it's hard to pigeonhole but refreshingly easy to enjoy.
(by John Brunner)Friday night at the Bottom Loungewas reminiscent of the storms that swept through the city and Lollapalooza earlier in the day. Odds are someone,out of their control, randomly lost their power-as with UK’s rising popsensation Esser. You sheltered yourself from the rain through covering up, asStockholm’s electro-dance outfit Miike Snow covered up their identities. Yetthrough
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Lykke Li, a singer from Sweden, has been hailed as the greatest thing since sliced bread with her leftfield pop musings. Her album Youth Novels is the kind of record that Bjork could have came up with if she was still focusing on the music instead of the packaging.Quirky and a bit self-indulgent in her writings about her current state of mind Youth Novels shows a lot of promise. Her musical ide...
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The debut album by Lykke Li, Youth Novels, is one of my favorite albums of the year - a warm and captivating collection of songs full of emotional depth, directness and resonance. Li simultaneously charms and touches, and in her ability to demonstrate her vulnerability and poignant straightforwardness, she holds the promise of being an artist with real staying power.Li's voice is almost elfin ...
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Last night was Lykke Li's first-evah headlining show in Los Angeles, and it was held at the living room-sized Hollywood venue, Hotel Cafe. So naturally, it was a sold out gig and naturally, it's an L.A. crowd that didn't dance. =/ Lykke Li did all the moving and she was adorable. You must see her. She says things to the crowd like, "it's okay to kiss" or goes down to the front asking for a drin...
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Lykke Li's full length Youth Novels (Atlantic) is finally coming out stateside tomorrow. We posted here about how completely amazed we were with her EP Little Bit and couldn't wait to digest the LP. Well Youth Novels doesn't disappoint. It's filled with musical highs and lows, broad choruses to whispered secrets, all while blending genres [...]~~
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MP3: Lykke Li - Breaking It Up "Youth Novels" seems like old news in the world of online music journalism, but in fact the album has not been commercially available in the United States until August 24th. So the following review can be viewed as a rehash, a reminder or, heaven forbid, something completely new. There's nothing wrong with talking about things we love, that's what makes writi...
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In some ways Youth Novels is difficult to approach. Many of its themes are inherently feminine. Lykke Li has commented that the songs are all built from her own life experiences and that the album should be thought of a storybook of her young life. (She's 22/23 now.) As such the album delivers thoughts on [...]~~
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After watching this video of up and coming swedish songtress Lykke Li, i am now inspired to once again anonymously preform music in bathroom stalls.props to soundvenue.com for the interview/video.If you dug this i highly suggest checking this lady out, she is absolutlely fantastic, such fun tunes!!!!!
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--- - |- Like a Swedish-pop Stevie Nicks, Lykke Li has made billowing clothes, long blonde hair, chunky jewelery, headbands, and a vague mystical sense all key aspects of her artistic persona. The video for "Breaking It Up", one of the catchiest songs from debut LP Youth Novels, also incorporates the "express yourself don't repress yourself" sexuality of a Madonna or Fiona Apple clip. On Kleer...
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Lykke Li Untill We Bleed ZELENKA REMIX by zelenka101
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MP3: Lykke Li - Breaking It Up "Youth Novels" seems like old news in the world of online music journalism, but in fact the album has not been commercially available in the United States until August 24th. So the following review can be viewed as a rehash, a reminder or, heaven forbid, something completely new. There's nothing wrong with talking about things we love, that's what makes writi...
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Lykke Li's full length Youth Novels (Atlantic) is finally coming out stateside tomorrow. We posted here about how completely amazed we were with her EP Little Bit and couldn't wait to digest the LP. Well Youth Novels doesn't disappoint. It's filled with musical highs and lows, broad choruses to whispered secrets, all while blending genres [...]~~
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I discuss the Swedish popster's beautiful debut album with resolute MOG outsider, The Girlfriend (aka Jill).(We stick on new single Breaking It Up; listen to the track in Comments)The GF Ah, that tells you she’s only a child. It’s like a Road Safety song. Me: But she also sings about murdering people for her lover [on Little Bit]. “I’ll climb a mountain, pull a trigger...”The GF: I don
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There's been a lot of love on MOG for Swedish pop startlet Lykke Li as of late so I'm thinking most of you will be psyched to check this new video for her Youth Novels track "Breaking It Up." It's the (sultry) dopeness.
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I can't help it, I love Lykke Li remixes! I haven't heard the original versions yet, which will change when the lass' debut album Youth Novels drops in the US on August 19th. But I've been mesmerized by the numerous remixes I've collected in the meantime. Of course, I've been sharing them with you, so here are the latest 2 to add to the mix: "I'm Good, I'm Gone" Black Kids Remix"I'm Good, I...
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Aren't I clever? Did you see what I did there?I blame Charley Rogulewski for this one. I honestly only read the post because she said she was a "hottie." While I disagree, I fuckin' like the song. I knew it was a wrap when I picked my little girl up from day care yesterday and she asks to hear "the song we heard this morning." Skipping through the songs on my latest riding CD, it turns out...
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Somethings up with things loading when I look at Mog pages today. Here's something that I've noticed for a while now but just thought I would point out if you haven't noticed. When I click on Lykke Li under Top Artists This Month at the bottom left hand corner it automatically is linked to the page that your already on. Like if I went to Ivy's Ashanti Afrika Jah post and clicked on Lykke Li ...
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Another great livedaily session...
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In this alternate live video of "Breaking it up" shot by Christian Haag in one take, she has her Late Night megaphone on hand.Love Lykke and her megaphone...Breaking it up - alternative live video. Filmed by: Christian Haag from Lykke Li on Vimeo.
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If you already have Lykke Li's EP Little Bit and you can't get enough of it, you're in luck! The Swedish siren just announced that she's going to release her full-length debut album in the US this summer, via her own label. The album is titled Youth Novels (you've probably heard of it) and it was produced by Bjorn Yttling (of Peter, Bjorn and John). Originally released in the Nordic countrie...
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Little Bit (Feat. Drake and Mickey Factz) by Lykke Li /-
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Sears has a commercial right now on US TV highlighting the new fall fashions for women. The song they are using is Lykke Li's Let It Fall.Did the producers not notice that this song is about how she likes to cry? it's a song about crying and letting her tears fall.Understandably, the word FALL is in the song over and over again... and granted, when she sings 'so I weep', it sounds like she is s...
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I heard this the other day at work on KEXP live in their studios and was taken back, its so much softer than the other stuff I have heard of hers. The whole performance, four songs in all, had the same feel to it.
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Ah, the classic break up song. Ah, Lykke Li. I think I've just discovered a new Scandinavian princess to worship (although no one will ever be able to steal Bjork's spot in my heart and soul).
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| Title | Lyrics | Buy |
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| 1 Melodies & Desires |
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| 2 Dance, Dance, Dance |
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| 3 I'm Good, I'm Gone |
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| 4 Let It Fall |
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| 5 My Love |
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| 6 Tonight |
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| 7 Little Bit |
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| 8 Hanging High |
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| 9 This Trumpet in My Head |
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| 10 Complaint Department |
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| 11 Breaking It Up |
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| 12 Everybody But Me |
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| 13 Time Flies |
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| 14 Window Blues |
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Click to purchase…
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 "Youth Novels")
