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Both youthful and novel--Li was twenty-one upon its release, which may explain both her occasional goofy vocal affectations and the hesitant freshness of her sound--it's hard to pigeonhole but refreshingly easy to enjoy.
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Her confidence trumps cute here.
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With a tiny voice, minimalist arrangements and simple lyrics, this Swedish songwriter has crafted what seems like a magical album, where all its small elements coalesce into something quite big.
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BlenderIt's Li's confidence to stray that gives this album its depth. [Sep 2008, p.82]
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Still only 22 (!), Lykke Li has constructed one of 2008's most ambitiously grandiose statements. Madonna can shuffle off to her Live Nation millions, a new pop saviour has been found.
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Youth Novels is a twinkle-toed debut that dares to suggest what others can only make tediously plain, and leaves us in the rarely-enjoyed position of actually wanting more.
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FilterA Nordic slice of pop heaven that ranges from electro-Calypso bizarrity to hand clap-driven electro anthems about "Breaking It Up." [Summer 2008, p.102]
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Charming debut from flirtatious Scandinavian popette.
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For all the inventive whimsy of the arrangements, however, there’s no mistaking the slight lyrical content.
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As things stand, a lot of people are going to fall in love with this new young talent, and her ambitious and creative debut. But Lykke Li is likely to stay a cult curiosity for now.
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Simple but sensational.
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The lyrics lack focus at times but this is a winning debut.
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Even if a few experiments fall flat, on the rest of Youth Novels Li is as witty and self-possessed, even if most of her songs brutally document her emotional masochism.
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By paying attention to detail, Yttling and Li's prove that doesn't have to be [an impossible task]. But even more impressive is the way their intimate, playful miniatures capture the daring and novelty of modern pop, as well as its hooks.
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Classy, fun, sensual, and more grown-up than you’d expect, it’s the kind of confident debut that puts the Kate Nashes of the world to shame.
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Q MagazineThey're all set to limber pop that draws on the more understated aspects of both indie rock and dance, with Li's one-off personality a delight throughout. [July 2008, p.107]
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The singer's frosty squeak is a limited instrument, but she works it, mixing adorable playground scats with spoken-word whispers and parched coos that barely sketch her sugary melodies.
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Overall, Li manages not to get swept away by Yttling and Mårtén's resourceful accompaniments....Her bashfulness is, in fact, an asset.
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The endlessly quotable single 'Little Bit'--"For you I keep my legs apart / And forget about my tainted heart," the singer coos over spare electro clatter--is already a viral smash, but much of Li Lykke Timotej Zachrisson's debut is nearly as riveting.
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These songs aren’t necessarily greater than the pop tunes around them, but they are different, more singular and more interesting.
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Li adeptly straddles the line between instant gratification and minimalist smarts.
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Youth Novels, one-ups the competition by being sillier, funkier, and less comfortable--more “Konichiwa Bitches” than Keren Ann.
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Youth Novels serves as an entertaining, but ultimately inadequate introduction to Lykke Li.
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Under The RadarThat Youth Novels alternates sentiments and styles track to track without seeming indulgent or directioness is impressive for someone who wrote her first full song only four years ago. [Summer 2008, p.83]
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Lykke Li manages to combine Feist’s beautiful crooning with Robyn’s playful spunk in her own impressively unique way.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 55 out of 64
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Mixed: 3 out of 64
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Negative: 6 out of 64
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Mar 27, 2011Lykke Liâ
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Aug 11, 2014
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oscarL.Oct 8, 2008Her voice is so sweet it makes your spine tingle. Her beats are original yet unique for a "pop" artist. watch this space.