Picks of the Week
This week’s picks bring us torchy pop from Sweden and soulful music from Yemen via Israel.
Lykke Li - "Wounded Rhymes" (LL/Atlantic)
Ever since Abba, the Swedes have had a preternatural gift for exporting hooky pop hits. Robyn may have been the Swede du jour of 2010 -- but her countrywoman Lykke Li is campaigning hard for 2011's title.
The youthful Lykke Li isn't peddling sweetness of the “Dancing Queen” variety. She retreated to Los Angeles to write the album, called “Wounded Rhymes.” The sunny west coast made its mark with big roomy drums and girl group inspired choruses. But a knowing icy wind blows through the 10 song set.
Lykke Li first turned heads with her 2008 album “Youth Novels.” In the years since, the singer's grown up quite a bit. She's been hurt. She's hungry. She's totally in control. As she sings, sadness, after all, can be a blessing. -Picked by Gretta Cohn
Yemen Blues – "Yemen Blues" (LGM)
Yemen Blues is the name of the band, their debut album, and their title track. The group is built around the voice of Ravid Kahalani, part of Israel’s distinctive community of Yemeni Jews. Growing up with Yemenite chants, Kahalani found something emotionally similar in Delta blues, soul, and Afropop. "Yemen Blues" brings all of those styles together.
The album features Kahalani’s voice, mostly in Yemenite Arabic or in Hebrew, but there’s one song performed, surprisingly, in Haitian Creole.
"Yemen Blues" is directed by the veteran jazz bassist Omer Avital; with loping North African percussion and a tight, James Brown-inspired horn section, the music has an irresistible energy. -Picked by John Schaefer
