The third act is always tough. ‘I Never Learn’ finds Lykke Li further expanding on the reverb-soaked world sketched out on ‘Youth Novels’ and ‘Wounded Rhymes’, with things taking a further sombre turn. After all, it’s not as though her last two outings were entirely comprised of sweetness and light.
Despite its brevity - nine songs in a touch over half an hour - ‘I Never Learn’ is a weighty piece, one that deals in broad emotional brushstrokes. It’s at its best when the subtleties of Li’s melodies are apparent, or on the rare occasions when the mood is punctured by a change of pace.
So, the feather-light piano line in No Rest For The Wicked is a perfect counterbalance to its booming chorus, while its neighbours, Just Like A Dream and Silver Line, trade in deft hooks.
Gunshot, meanwhile, marries hammer blow piano chords with a rare outbreak of drums to inject a little Springsteen drive. Love Me Like I’m Made Of Stone takes its arresting central line and runs with it too, treading similar retro-soul ground as Lana Del Rey.
As the album rumbles to its conclusion, these elements take a back seat to more heartstring-tugging, with the ballad structure eventually wearing itself out.
Li is able to flick the switch between yearning and defiance at will and possesses the sort of voice to freeze you in your tracks, but certain arrangements here are simply too familiar to do her justice. The slow ones hit you hardest when you don't see them coming.
Lykke Li Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Thu May 08 2014 - LONDON Village Underground
Fri May 09 2014 - LONDON Village Underground
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