Critiques CD: Lykke Li | Wounded Rhymes

The Swedish girl who charmed the world with her 2008 debut Youth Novels has found herself with Wounded Rhymes. A diary of jaded youth, female sexual empowerment and the harsh realities of love, the songs pulsate with fervent passion, tribal beats and ominous synthetic sounds. From the cataclysmic crescendos of tortured love letter “Jerome” to the anguished crooning and throbbing war horns of “Silent My Song,” Li achieves a perfect manifestation of devastating heartbreak while maintaining sexiness with “Get Some.” Unfortunately, the banality of bubblegum ballad “Sadness is a Blessing” and doo-wop rehash “Unrequited Love” leave a disparity among the album’s tempestuous depth. May 21st at Metropolis.