Lykke Li Little Bit

Following in the footsteps of Bjork, Swedish sensation Lykke Li presents minimalist pop in her debut album, Little Bit. With her small, innocent voice coupled with sensual, provocative lyrics, Little Bit is a study of contrasts.

“Little Bit,” the title track of the album, is striking with its highly suggestive lyrics. Li’s almost juvenile, breathless voice adds a sweet quality to a song that should be deeply rich and seductive. Instead, “Little Bit,” which features simple percussion and slightly sensual moaning from Li, is purely flirtatious.

Another excellent track on this short album – it has four tracks in total – is “Dance Dance Dance,” which, like “Little Bit,” presents simple layers of percussion colored by Li’s charming vocals. The combination of instrumentals with Li’s poignant voice give “Dance Dance Dance” an airy, breathless quality underscored with the hint of a reggae groove.

The other two tracks on the album, “Everybody But Me” and “Time Flies,” are equally memorable, and both follow the simple pace set by “Little Bit.” “Everybody But Me,” aided by Li’s rhythmically flexible vocals, is particularly catchy. “Time Flies,” with its tender vocals and excellent piano accompaniment, is more wistful in nature, although at times Li doesn’t quite catch her high notes on pitch.

Little Bit is progressively minimalist, employing simple percussive elements and Li’s sparse vocals. Li’s voice is so childlike that when paired with her sensual, almost explicit lyrics, especially in “Little Bit,” the effect is slightly disturbing. The contrast produced by the quality of her voice and bare instrumentals with such lyrics is profound.