I Never Learn [LP]

by Lykke Li

Overview

There has always been something captivating about Swedish singer/songwriter Lykke Li. From the minimalist mix of icy electronics and playful indie pop of her 2008 debut Youth Novels to the weightier, percussive anthems on 2011's Wounded Rhymes, she has flexed her considerable creative muscle but never quite managed to dial in on a sound that would define her. She manages a tunefulness that aspires to great pop heights, yet retains the wintry austerity of her Nordic roots. On her third album, 2014's I Never Learn, she manages to meld both of those assets into a beautifully crafted set of lonesome break-up ballads. Like a snowbound version of Beck's Sea Change, the album gets sad and personal on somber tracks like "Love Me Like I'm Not Made of Stone" and "Sleeping Alone," which count among some of the sparer arrangements. Co-producing with longtime collaborator Bjoern Yttling (of Peter Bjoern and John), Li has built a true Wall of Sound around her songs, adding enough reverb to last the rest of her career. Most of the time this works well, with excellent tracks like "Just Like a Dream" and the huge pop ballad "Never Gonna Love Again" reaching for the skies with anthemic choruses that could very well vault her into the pop stardom she's been flirting with for years. It's not a particularly warm album either in tone or delivery, and there remains the feeling of being kept at arm's length even as Li spills her heart out. But perhaps that unattainability is part of her allure. She sounds every bit the wounded princess, unwilling to let anyone help her pick up the pieces as she delivers these lovely, sad songs from behind a shroud of her own making. [I Never Learn was also released on LP.] ~ Timothy Monger

Product Details

Release Date:	11/15/2024
Label:	Atlantic
UPC:	0825646306039

Tracks

1. I Never Learn
2. No Rest for the Wicked
3. Just Like a Dream
4. Silver Line
5. Gunshot
6. Love Me Like I'm Not Made of Stone
7. Never Gonna Love Again
8. Heart of Steel
9. Sleeping Alone

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Lykke Li   Primary Artist,Vocals
Katherine Dancy   Choir/Chorus
Talitha Manor   Choir/Chorus
Yolanda Dancy   Choir/Chorus
Thomas Tjarnkvist   Guitar (Electric)
Ketil Solberg   Violin
Andreas Forsman   Violin
Vincent Brantley   Choir/Chorus
Rick Nowels   Guitar (Acoustic)
John Eriksson   Percussion
Lasse Marten   Percussion
Bjoern Yttling   Piano,Sitar,Zither,Mellotron,Percussion,Bass (Electric),Moog Synthesizer,Guitar (Acoustic)
Brandon Hampton   Choir/Chorus
Erik Holm   Viola
Greg Kurstin   Bass,Drums,Organ,Piano,Guitar,Keyboards,Mellotron,Percussion,Guitar (Electric)
Leo Svensson   Cello
Erik Arvinder   Violin
Mariam Wallentin   Vocals
Sean Dancy   Choir/Chorus
Calle Olsson   Synthesizer
Anders Pettersson   Guitar (Steel),Guitar (Electric)
Cecilia Linne   Cello
Andrea Thomas   Choir/Chorus
Christopher Oehman   Viola
Lars Skoglund   Drums,Percussion
Conny Lindgren   Violin
Amanda Hollingby Matsson   Vocals

Technical Credits

Julian Burg   Engineer
Brendan Dunne   Design
Karl Lindman   Art Direction
Viktor Baelter-Lundin   Engineer
Kieron Menzies   Engineer
Ted Jensen   Mastering
Rick Nowels   Composer,Engineer
Nille Perned   Engineer
Lasse Marten   Mixing,Engineer,Vocal Producer,Drum Programming
Bjoern Yttling   Composer,Engineer,Producer
Greg Kurstin   Composer,Engineer,Producer,Orchestration
Lykke Li   Harmony,Composer,Lyricist,Producer
Alex Pasco   Engineer
Laura Sisk   Engineer
Hans Stenlund   Engineer
Josh Olins   Photography
Gustav Lindeloew   Engineer
Trevor Yasuda   Engineer