Lykke Li

Artist- Lykke Li
Album- Wounded Rhymes
Label-Atlantuc

Lykke Li’s much-anticipated sophomore album does not disappoint. The most common complaint about her first album, Youth Novels, was the sound which seemed cutesy to some listeners. On WR, her voice is still high-pitched and delicate, but much more powerful and sure; her versatility is now evident through the contrasting sounds on this album. Normally woe-is-me songs bore me, but LL delivers such spunk and dazzling soul that I just can’t get enough of this rich, moody (and dare I say dark?) album. She launches listeners into a frenzy when she incites them to “come on, get down” on the first track. From then on it’s a melee of emotion and sound, the textured percussion and small details hinting at Bjorn (of Peter and John)’s superb production. This album ranges from slow, haunting, terrifyingly beautiful tracks, to deliciously saucy danceable pieces. Lykke Li does not deny heartbreak and wistfulness, but embraces them. When she expresses her emotions, she does so with grace and careful execution. Musically and thematically, this album is a knockout.