Release Date: March 1, 2011
LL Recordings; 11 Tracks; CD
Review by: Allyssia Alleyne
If Lykke Li's Wounded Rhymes, the Swedish singer's sophomore effort, proves anything, it is that the 25-year-old has done some growing up since releasing her 2008 debut, Youth Novels.
On this album, you will find no gentle cooing or lyrics that disappear into wispy high notes. The woodblock and fragility are replaced by tribal drums and a new sense of authority. The little girl vulnerability is now maturity and confidence. For the most part, it works.
The overall tone of the album is much darker. On "Get Some", for example, she growls that, "Like a shotgun I can't be outdone/I'm your prostitute, you gon' get some." But aside from this obvious sexual theme, the album also touches on other issues that come with maturity, like loneliness, love, and living life to the fullest.
The album's highlights are the fantastic ballads, which Li works like a pro. On "Unrequited Love", a ballad that could have been stolen from the Motown era, Li's soulful vocals and lyrics take centre stage and show that, even if she has changed her musical direction, she can still deliver as a musician. The song, which features some lovely three-part harmonies and well-placed "shoo-wop, shoo-wahs" in the background, seems like a tribute to '60s girl group The Shangri-Las, with Li acting as lead singer Mary Weiss. Luckily, she passed on the band's famous melodramatics.
The retro vibe shows up again on "Sadness is a Blessing". The song starts off like a melancholy version of the Ronettes' "Be My Baby", but Li quickly makes it her own. When she sings, "I ranted, I pleaded, I begged him not to go," with the same fragility that made Youth Novels so striking, you realize what makes Li's voice so unique and enjoyable. Her voice isn't necessarily spectacular, but she makes up for any lack of uniqueness with expressiveness.
It is on the songs where Li tries to really cast off her old sound that she most often falls flat. The more experimental songs seem over-processed, overwhelming instead of complementing her talents. "Youth Knows No Pain", the first track, is catchy at best. "I Follow Rivers" is the kind of song you shake your hips to because it's on, not because you feel any way about it. I predict that they'll be remixed repeatedly, potentially in dub-step form.
Though the album doesn't get off to an amazing start, it ends on the best note possible. "Silence My Song" is a dramatic mix of harmonies, chanting and eerie lyrics that make you feel like you're in an ancient church. "And you see pain like it is pleasure, like a work of art/Well I'm your painting, I'm your treasure/Purest of them all," she sings in an eerily childlike voice. Goosebumps.
Overall, Wounded Rhymes is a trip. On some songs, you feel as though you're sitting in a gray room alone, crying your eyes out; on others, you're dancing in the woods on instinct alone. If Lykke Li was trying to think outside of the box and try something new, she succeeded. Even if it doesn't always work, Wounded Rhymes is an excellent sophomore album.
