Quick takes on new releases
LYKKE LI
I Never Learn(LL/Atlantic)Lykke Li is a pop star who surrounds herself in clouds of reverb, so the obvious reference point for her music is Phil Spector's '60s girl-group productions. But strip away the layers of sound and her third album I Never Learn is essentially a set of adult-contemporary ballads that would slot nicely into any KOIT lineup. These songs are personal rather than universal, introverted rather than extroverted, subtle and slight rather than big and dumb —though there are some pretty shameless hooks on this album, readymade for festival sing-a-longs.Read more »