Let's hear it for Sweden!

What is it about the Swedish of late? They are producing some of the most challenging and interesting pop music that I have heard in a very very long time. First we have my current obsession Robyn, and now the country that bought us ABBA and meatballs brings us Lykke Li. She is brand spanking new to me (although my Swedish friend Orsi tell me that is two years old news, and everyone over there is sick of her - go figure) so I like to think of her as my discovery...well kind of (I am always late with these!).

The album consists of some of the most interesting arrangements in the pop/electro genre that I heard in ages. It seems on the sparse sounding recording, that the producers (Peter Bjorn and John) decided to invest each track with it own personal and infectious details instead of creating the production orgy that so many pop songs are drowned in.

She is not a producers pet though....she is a total artist.

Check out her video for "I'm Good, I'm Gone" - Remember when pop videos in the 80's seemed more like strange performance art?

Lykke Li - "I'm Good, I'm Gone"
Uploaded by bluntedsoul

On songs like the infectious 'Little Bit' you get some deeply profound lyrics about love and sex all delivered with a voice you could describe as cutely affected had she not been in entire control.

The video is an absolute corker as well.

Lykke Li - "Little bit"
Uploaded by tkf

hands down
i'm too proud for love
but with eyes shut
it's you i'm thinking of
but how we move from A to B?
it can't be up to me
'cause you don't know
eye to eye
thigh to thigh
i let go

i think i'm..

a little bit, a little bit
a little bit in love with you
but only if you're
a little but, a little bit, a little bit
in lo-lo-lo-lo-love with me
oh

ooo-ooo...

and for you i keep my legs apart
and forget about my tainted heart
and i will never ever be the first
to say it
but still I,
yes you know I..I..I..
i would do it,
push a button
pull a trigger,
climb a mountain
jump off a cliff,
'cause you know baby
i love you love you a little bit
i would do it, i would say it
i would mean it, we could do it
it was you and i and if only i..

i think i'm
a little bit, a little bit
a little bit in love with you
but only if you're
a little but, a little bit, little bit
in lo-lo-lo-lo-love with me

come here, stay with me
stroke me by the hair
'cause i would give anything, anything
to have you as my man (2X)

a little bit, a little bit
a little bit in love with you
but only if you're
a little but, a little bit, little bit
in lo-lo-lo-lo-love with me