“Dance Dance Dance“
from the album Youth Novels
2008
iTunes
Sweden, more than any other country, has somehow managed to chuck out little nuggets of consistently amazing popstars into other territories over the past 30 years or so. From ABBA up to the recent resurrection of Robyn, via the Cardigans and Roxette (no, seriously), Sweden’s contributed more than enough to the world of “tune.”
Stockholm’s Lykke Li may have been subject to a barrage of Robyn comparisons already (being friends and collaborators), but there’s much more to Li than just Being Robyn’s mate. While one is a hip-hop-bustin’ electroglam superstar, Lykke’s talents lie more in her subtelty than in any kind of larger-than-life pop fun — she’s more in common with the earthy Camille or Feist than anyone from her motherland — largely eschewing electronica in favour of naturalistic, human tones.
The metronomic minimalism of “Little Bit” is a good indication of this EP’s strengths — its shuffling, stripped-down, hushed tropical pop has just enough bite to leave an impression, while still keeping itself remarkably restrained. Elsewhere, “Everybody But Me” parps and hums like a sleepy TV on the Radio and the excellent “Dance Dance Dance” lobs in a bonkers 1920s-inspired jazz section, somehow making it sound like the most normal thing in the world. The strength of Little Bit is a total testament to Lykke Li’s overall vision: it’s quietly confident, confidently quiet, and utterly brilliant.