Album Review: Lykke Li, Youth Novels

I was initially put off by this album because I don't like the first track. I just don't feel that it showcases the her best, which I believe an opening track needs to do. As a result of this little snafu I was not getting into the album the way I could have months ago when I first started talking about her.

So if you can get past the first song, the second song is "Dance, Dance, Dance" which was my introduction to Lykke Li last winter. It typifies her sound of percussion and vocals, sung very evenly at the same dynamic and vocal range. I arbitrarily decided to listen to her album starting on the 3rd track at work the other day, and was so pleasantly surprised. Actually, every song after the first is pretty good! My favorite tracks include "Little Bit", "Breaking it Up" and "Time Flies". Her sound remains bare bones percussion accompanying her breathy vocals. I like to think of this album as relaxed pop, since it seems to always put me into a happy zen place. Music always has such a strong effect on me, and I think this might the first album that causes me to feel calm, even down to relaxing my shoulder muscles.

I know that I complained all summer about having nothing new to listn to, and no shows to go to, but that has really turned around this fall (as it always does....maybe I should stop acting like such a whiney little girl every summer, and instead focus on my excitement for the upcoming Fall releases. Doubtful.). Lykke Li sold out 3 NYC shows during CMJ, and was recieved very well. I couldn't make it to any of the shows, but I am now regretting that decision (I actually missed a lot in October).

So if you are feeling stressed out, put on some Lykke Li and feel the zen flowing through your veins.

<3 The Elephant

Album Review: TV on the Radio, Dear Science

I love the simplicity of the felt board lettering.

For some reason, I never really got into Return to Cookie Mountain TVotR's first critically acclaimed album. When Dear Science was released several weeks ago I got it but then didn't listen to it. I had heard "Golden Age" on Stereogum and though I liked it, I was totally shocked. Admittedly, I can't remember at all what Cookie Mountain sounded like, but it must have been different from this. The glaring falsetto, the LCD Soundsystem-esque Glam Disco beats, the rush of harmonies....what is this new sound?

Needless to say, I finally listened to the album through, and I am more than impressed. Last night at a party we were talking about what makes an album worth listening all the way through, referencing Weezer's Blue Album, which largely defined the music of my high school years. Everyone knows all the words to the whole album because the album flows form song to song perfectly. Although the songs all sound similar, there are a few different styles represented, slow and lyric, upbeat and dancey etc. Weezer never looses sight of who they are on the Blue Album, they are never trying to be something that they aren't.

Dear Science is exactly that. There is a wonderful variety of musical style represented. From the etherial "Family Tree" to the intensity of "DLZ" which has almost rapped spoken word. I like that every song on the album is a comletely distinct entity but that the flow is still strong from song to song. One of the biggest criticisms I often give of an album is that I can't feel a big enough difference in the songs on an album. It is much harder to create a completely unique piece of art in each song than it is to find something that works and create variations on that formula.

I would absolutely go see them live in the near future (although thy seem to be in Europe starting tomorrow, and going straight into February). No matter what, go out and grab Dear Science to help you get through this transition into the dreary winter months. On that note, go ahead and revisit Return to Cookie Mountain too and be pleasantly surprised.

<3 The Elephant