release date: May 5, 2014
format: cd
[album rate 3,5 / 5] [3,62]
producer: Greg Kurstin, Lykke Li, Björn Yttling
label: LL Recordings - nationality: Sweden
Track highlights: 1. "I Never Learn" - 2. "No Rest for the Wicked" (4 / 5) - 3. "Just Like a Dream" - 5. "Gunshot" (4 / 5) - 7. "Never Gonna Love Again" (4 / 5) - 9. "Sleeping Alone"
3rd album by Swedish art pop artist Lykke Li released on her own label LL Recordings and produced by Greg Kurstin, Björn Yttling, and Lykke Li. Like was the case between her first two solo albums this one has been three years under its way, and all three albums are very distinct. The debut Youth Novels (2008) is her so far most electronic art pop shaped, and with the second Wounded Rhymes (2011) she took a step into indie folk, and with this she now embraces chamber pop - all being also singer / songwriter releases. Her style is in family with other Scandinavian art pop artists like Norwegian Anne Marie Almedal, Danish Agnes Obel and Oh Land, as well as Swedish Amanda Jenssen, but with this album, I think she's almost in a league of her own. Last year, Agnes Obel made a fine second album release but apart from that, none of the aforementioned reach the same level of quality. In my mind, this is her best album so far, even surpassing her critically acclaimed Wounded Rhymes.
[ allmusic.com, Mojo 4 / 5, Rolling Stone 3,5 / 5, NME, Spin 3 / 5 stars ]
