Lindstrøm and Christabelle - Real Life Is No Cool

Whoever first uttered the phrase “disco is dead” would probably never have expected a resurgence of interest in 80s synth-pop that itself lead to the apparent resurrection of disco as a mainstream influence. In Britain this has yet to truly hit, and who knows it may not, but over in Norway it is truly back with a vengeance. Last year saw it in the form of Annie’s oft-delayed, and tragically overlooked, sophomore album Don’t Stop and this week sees the release of 2010’s attempt to revitalise the genre with Lindstrøm and Christabelle’s album Real Life Is No Cool.

As the opener starts off with nearly a minute of garbled lyrics it is very likely that many will wonder if Farmville is playing havoc with the music player, again. Once the heavy electro beats begin to pound and the sultry lyrics ask “What shall we do? Shall we start?” the album truly gets underway. With such a welcoming and the coos of “give a girl company... take off your shoes” this duo immediately draws you into their world of hypnotic beats.

Any attempt to charter the influences that allowed album to come to fruition would likely result in an abominably long list. However, some of these are far more obvious than others. The opening track ‘Looking For What’ calls to mind Justice’s album † with the beats pulsating like a gritty police siren. Later tracks acknowledge far more disco and electronica-based influences such as Donna Summer (‘Let’s Practise’), Sister Sledge (‘Baby Can’t Stop’) and Heaven 17 (‘Let It Happen’).

With such a smorgasbord of references and influences it is wondrous how this amalgamation is able to lead to a sound that never borders on pastiche. Albums that are able to do this successfully are at a premium, demonstrated last year by how few of the 80s-influenced albums managed to carry this off (Ladyhawke’s eponymous debut being an obvious exception). The main reason that Real Life Is No Cool is able to get away with this so readily is probably because of the extreme care and attention that has been devoted to each nuance of its construction. This only becomes apparent after a few listens, around about the time that the Christabelle’s vocals are recognised as integral rather than intrusive, with each extra run-through culminating in a different experience which is unique in its rewards.

By the time you reach the closer ‘High & Low’, with its landscape of ethereal electronic blooms and vocals, it will be extraordinarily hard not to reach for repeat button and start over to see what you have missed. Such is the masterful production that all these songs are unique and could be singles in their own right but together form a cohesive whole where they feed off of each other’s strengths.

In the end Real Life Is No Cool is able to bring together enough retro-fantasy to tantalise and envelop you in it’s warm cocoon whilst the flair of originality present in the mixing and layering allow you to truly succumb to the dreamscapes, at the mercy of the 47 minute runtime obviously.

Add Comment

You must log in to submit a comment.