(pair of mirrors)

#5. Lykke Li - Wounded Rhymes

“Youth Knows No Pain”

It’s a great feeling when an artist you really like comes out with a second, even better, even more impressive album. Such is the case with Lykke Li. She is getting better with age.Youth Novels was one of my favourite albums in university, but Wounded Rhymes is full of new insights, danceable tunes, reflective ballads and sing along songs. She did it again, but even better.  Lykke seems to have grown up a lot from Youth Novels, and she says now, “Youth Knows No Pain”. 

The success of Lykke Li is really exciting for me. The way Wounded Rhymes seems to be borderline mainstream says a lot to me about where music is headed. It seems the indie, the intelligent, the innovative, is on the up and up. Good music is finally starting to get the attention and ticket sales they deserve. It’s so refreshing to see a talented pop singer like Lykke selling out huge venues in Toronto and everywhere else. She is clever, talented, beautiful, and writes undeniably good songs. When you’re listening to Wounded Rhymes there is definitely no denying that music can be catchy and intelligent at the same time. She’s the mastermind behind these fantastic pop tunes.  Its this level of accessibility and the stomp along sing along quality of Lykke Li’s engaging songwriter that makes her the reigning indie queen in my books. And right along side those catchy singalong songs are gentle, sad, pretty and quiet ones too. 

I admire the way Lykke writes from this poignant perspective of being a smart and beautiful woman. It’s so brutally and beautifully honest. Songs like Rich Kid Blues and Get Some are both provocative and catchy, without seeming in the least bit over the top. I think she is an inspiring woman in the music scene and is going places even bigger than she’s been in 2011. 

L and I often have trouble agreeing on which albums deserve which spots on our countdowns, but since Wounded Rhymes came out we both knew it held a special place both in our hearts and on the countdown. We’ve enjoyed this album together and apart, recorded and live. It was an obvious choice from the get go. 

-M

Lykke Li  - “Rich Kid Blues”

The Sound Academy - November 15th 2011

L & I went to check out the lovely Lykke Li last night at the Sound Academy and we are both super glad we did. I was so inspired by her that I have both her albums on repeat this morning—two records that have never been lacking for play time around here anyway.

What was so great about Lykke was how good of a show it was. I say show because it is the theatrical element that sets watching Lykke apart from watching others. There was a really intense amount of strobe lights and smoke machines, coupled with three simple but elegant pieces of draping fabric hanging from high up in the smoke. Lykke would storm around in the fog dancing in the pieces of fabric, hammering on the symbols with a drumstick, and creating beautiful silhouettes of herself in front of the strobe lights. Furthermore, she created a really dynamic show by alternating between things like being all alone on the stage playing her-auto harp, to screaming through her megaphone backed up by her full band and back up singer. 

I found a new appreciation for the instrumentation in Lykke Li’s music. The percussion in her songs is so exciting! It’s got so much going on and so much power in it. It’s so fun to dance to, but also to watch her stomp around the stage to. It really struck me that she takes things to the next level with her choice to have 2 drummers on stage, and the way her full band and back up singer really support her throughout. There were moments when she sounded tired, but you didn’t mind… you didn’t blame her for it, because she was delivering a great show anyway. 

A song-writer myself, I was reminded of the time my mother told me that “people probably don’t want to hear songs about how hard it is to live your easy, privileged, beautiful life” (thanks mum). However, I think Lykke Li turns that statement on its head. Songs like Rich Kid Blues and Everybody But Me give beautiful and passionate insight into the lives of women who are obviously beautiful, smart, talented and lucky… but restless and unsatisfied. I hear a really beautiful and brutal honesty in her songs. They attack a subject I can relate to, and obviously the throngs of other people at the Sound Academy last night could too.  What truly makes Lykke special is how she makes this really profound statement with her lyrics, offering you a really interesting perspective… while simultaneously making you want to stomp your feet, move your hips and close your eyes. You want to Dance Dance Dance until you feel better, and then you actually DO somehow feel better, after.

To conclude, Lykke Li is as awesome as ever. She knows how to put on a show just like she knows how to put out a record. I can’t wait to see what she gets up to next! How how Lykke—We love you.

Wire wire over my head

Mama she told me keep your eyes on the trophy

And the sires sires out of your bed

For delirious gestures are so easily misread

Mama I got your wild eyed taste

Mama there’s nothing you can do or say

I got the rich kid blues and its got nothing to do with you

I got the rich kid blues and I’m not sure that I’m pulling through

-M