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Editorial Reviews
2011 album from the Swedish singer/songwriter. Channeling the demise of The Shangri-La's 'Leader of the Pack', women under the influence, ladies and gentlemen of the canyon, a Kung-fu Marianne Faithful, and an armed Nancy Sinatra on peyote, Lykke Li has created an 11 song album that sounds like no other. The record is packed full of pounding, voodoo drums, girl group gang vocals, sparkling guitar lines, woozy keyboards, love unrequited, hope reignited and her own very powerful voice, sounding bigger and bolder than ever before. From the hazy 60's organ driving opener "Youth Knows No Pain" to the sparse toe-tapsolo- guitar-swing of "Unrequited Love" to rollicking single "Get Some" to the dense drums of the propulsive "Jerome," Wounded Rhymes is a testament to Lykke Li's brilliant musical voice, one unlike any other.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
37 of 40 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
If Lykke Li's consistent (yet commercially underwhelming) debut record was any indication, she had a lot more to offer us than eclectic musical compositions with hooks that tend to stick. And that promise is certainly recognized on the supremely excellent "Wounded Rhymes", her sophomore record, and one that should solidify her place amongst todays' best independent artists. A record of this sort will perhaps never be a million-seller; and probably won't even reach a fraction of the audience that fellow Swede Robyn did last year with her stupendous "Body Talk", but as a work of art it is virtually flawless. The only flaw, if one can call it that, is that it is somewhat short in length.
The theme of the record, as indicated by the cryptic album cover, is love and loss. What is interesting about Lykke Li, is that she doesn't really seem to care so much about love, but rather seems more focussed on consequences of it. An interesting take, but this leads to some great songwriting - the lyrics here seem straightforward but are in fact rather indecipherable at times - and the music more than appropriately backs it up.
The standout track (amongst an album full of standouts, one might add) is the riveting "I Follow Rivers" - which is literally overflowing with metaphor and meaning - the glacial overtones of the instrumentation were not lost on the director of the music video to this fascinating piece of music - and it encapsulates what the entire record is all about. The same can be said of the slow-burner "Silent my Song" - a track that reveals itself in stages and only upon multiple listens. Throughout the album, there is a sense of open space & Nordic wilderness - a running theme through Lykke's records in general - but more so in this one. This gives it a chance to sonically 'open up' in ways that can be experienced best on only a hi-fi music system. On the flipside, there are things about it best experienced on headphones - the stark difference between playing this on a huge system and on a minimalist system is quite something - its like two entirely different albums - both just as essential and spellbinding.
Listen, this may not be everyones kind of music. I'm more a Bon Iver, Justin Vernon, Devendra Banhart, & Joanna Newsom kind of guy, so my tastes veer toward the obscure, and for lack of a better word, 'freak folk' movement. However, Scandinavia has been regularly producing some truly sensational artists - Stina Nordenstam comes to mind, but most talented would perhaps be Lykke Li, and the even more obscure Frida Hyvonen and her sophomore album "Silence is Wild". If moody, dark, minimalist icy pop is what youre after, Lykke Li is exactly the kind of artist that should do it for you. Also, and it bears repeating, this is an album that has immense repeat value - which of course is always the hallmark of an instant classic.
Five Stars. Definitely in the running for Album of the Year 2011.
The theme of the record, as indicated by the cryptic album cover, is love and loss. What is interesting about Lykke Li, is that she doesn't really seem to care so much about love, but rather seems more focussed on consequences of it. An interesting take, but this leads to some great songwriting - the lyrics here seem straightforward but are in fact rather indecipherable at times - and the music more than appropriately backs it up.
The standout track (amongst an album full of standouts, one might add) is the riveting "I Follow Rivers" - which is literally overflowing with metaphor and meaning - the glacial overtones of the instrumentation were not lost on the director of the music video to this fascinating piece of music - and it encapsulates what the entire record is all about. The same can be said of the slow-burner "Silent my Song" - a track that reveals itself in stages and only upon multiple listens. Throughout the album, there is a sense of open space & Nordic wilderness - a running theme through Lykke's records in general - but more so in this one. This gives it a chance to sonically 'open up' in ways that can be experienced best on only a hi-fi music system. On the flipside, there are things about it best experienced on headphones - the stark difference between playing this on a huge system and on a minimalist system is quite something - its like two entirely different albums - both just as essential and spellbinding.
Listen, this may not be everyones kind of music. I'm more a Bon Iver, Justin Vernon, Devendra Banhart, & Joanna Newsom kind of guy, so my tastes veer toward the obscure, and for lack of a better word, 'freak folk' movement. However, Scandinavia has been regularly producing some truly sensational artists - Stina Nordenstam comes to mind, but most talented would perhaps be Lykke Li, and the even more obscure Frida Hyvonen and her sophomore album "Silence is Wild". If moody, dark, minimalist icy pop is what youre after, Lykke Li is exactly the kind of artist that should do it for you. Also, and it bears repeating, this is an album that has immense repeat value - which of course is always the hallmark of an instant classic.
Five Stars. Definitely in the running for Album of the Year 2011.
23 of 25 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
"Wounded Rhymes" is the follow up to Swedish songstress Lykke Li's brilliant debut "Youth Tales". Produced by Björn Yttling of Peter Björn and John, it opens with the playfully bouncy organ-driven "Youth Knows No Pain" which sounds like a sixties girl group."I Follow Rivers" is surreal with tinpot percussion and a ghostly coda, while "Love Out Of Lust" (with a forlorn whistle break) and the tinkling "Unrequited Love" are wistful retro ballads. The bouncy "Get Some" (with chiming guitars and tribal percussion) finds her declaring "I'm your prostitute, you gonna get some".
"Rich Kids Blues" juxtaposes fuzzy/quivering guitars against a dense wall of sound, while "Sadness Is A Blessing" is a shuffling Doo Wop-style ballad. "I Know Places" is a tender acoustic ballad with gently strummed guitar, "Jerome" is absolutely stunning, and closing is "Silent My Song" with gorgeous harmonies and the lines "You see pain like it is pleasure, like a work of art". This perfectly sums up Li's sound as she sees music like a work of art.
"Rich Kids Blues" juxtaposes fuzzy/quivering guitars against a dense wall of sound, while "Sadness Is A Blessing" is a shuffling Doo Wop-style ballad. "I Know Places" is a tender acoustic ballad with gently strummed guitar, "Jerome" is absolutely stunning, and closing is "Silent My Song" with gorgeous harmonies and the lines "You see pain like it is pleasure, like a work of art". This perfectly sums up Li's sound as she sees music like a work of art.
17 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
The other reviews do a nice job of talking about the music, so I thought I'd chime in on the packaging. If you're tossing whether to splurge on the CD or just get the download - this is one of the rare cases I'd suggest the download. There isn't much to the CD packaging. One obscure, photo of a tribal painted Ms. Li on the back page of the booklet plus the murky cover art. The lyric sheet is muddled as well, printed text with some inky cross-outs to somehow denote that Ms. Li was still working out the songs while the booklet went to press.
Focus instead on the music: slow burners that demand attention and a few full throttle bangers that demand movement. Focus instead on the voice - a vibrato crisp like a woodwind; powerful and enchanting. I thought with the vampy SPIN cover story, the album would have sold better out of the gate, but this one is sure to blaze a slow, steady trail, one listener at a time. While Robyn and Annie are bright, caffeinated blasts of technicolor pop (that I highly recommend); Wounded Rhymes is a cool, hazy, thumpy, rhythmic and dreamy disc you can dance to before drifting away into bliss.
Focus instead on the music: slow burners that demand attention and a few full throttle bangers that demand movement. Focus instead on the voice - a vibrato crisp like a woodwind; powerful and enchanting. I thought with the vampy SPIN cover story, the album would have sold better out of the gate, but this one is sure to blaze a slow, steady trail, one listener at a time. While Robyn and Annie are bright, caffeinated blasts of technicolor pop (that I highly recommend); Wounded Rhymes is a cool, hazy, thumpy, rhythmic and dreamy disc you can dance to before drifting away into bliss.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
a little bit lauper
She has a vocal quality that is remenisent of cyndi but very much her own. Rufas Wainright is a fan.
Published 3 months ago by clinton smith
2.0 out of 5 stars
Unbearable
This album stands in sharp contrast to Youth Novels, whose fascinating sonority combined with the captivating timbre of Lykke's voice gave us something quite unique and enjoyable. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Fx3
2.0 out of 5 stars
Seductive... but not in attractive way
I feel like she's trying to seduce men in the first song. I was turned away. The rest of the album is kind of boring.
Published 4 months ago by Julie M. Yaunches
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great CD!
I read a recommendation of this recording in a magazine and I must say, if you like this kind of music, it's a very interesting CD
Published 7 months ago by Pablo Miranda Barroso
5.0 out of 5 stars
"You're My River Running High. Run Deep, Run Wild"
This is my favorite female artist to listen to period. With a feminine bluesy commanding yet innocent presence wrapped into one, she takes the cake; she is the voice to my... Read more
Published 11 months ago by Eden
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great bonus, not worth the price.
Which is why I only gave it 4 stars. The (very few) remixes on the bonus disc aren't the best, but are still enjoyable. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Sean
5.0 out of 5 stars
I lykke it
Great work and inspirated. Full of youth and experiences. Poetry and images beyond the sounds. And this is not her peak yet !!!!!
Published 15 months ago by Mariano
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome CD, new and needed version of the shangri las
Just got this CD today. It's on its third (or fourth?) listen. I love it.
-It's atmospheric, with big banging drums and sounding like it was recorded in a large metal... Read more
-It's atmospheric, with big banging drums and sounding like it was recorded in a large metal... Read more
Published 16 months ago by bootobsessed
4.0 out of 5 stars
One of my Favorite Albums of 2011
Typical Lykke Li, but that in no way means it is boring or repetitive of her earlier works! One of my favorite albums of 2011; for fans of, in my opinion, Metric, Florence +the... Read more
Published 16 months ago by margieebee
3.0 out of 5 stars
I hope her high school boyfriend kept the tapes
If the chick with guitar in that John Cusak movie where he holds the boombox over his head while that Peter Gabriel song is playing was ever to make an album, there's a good chance... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Hbar
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