Review Summary: Hans-Peter Lindstrøm and Christabelle Solale combine their talents to create an innovative, stylish achievement in the field of electronic music.
It's odd that an artist like Hans-Peter Lindstrøm can retain his loyal fan base when the runtime of the last two major releases come close to one hundred minutes. This usually wouldn't constitute anything lengthy, but its hard not to consider four tracks with this runtime as such. And in subsequent event, the accessibility of these works is less than that of his contemporaries'. However this all has come to an abrupt halt.
Real Life Is No Cool utilizes versatile vocals, and is the modish relief to these lengthy tracks. However, this does not mean that
Real Life Is No Cool is cliché. That statement is as far from the truth as possible.
Composed of free-floating tidbits of sounds,
Real Life Is No Cool shows Lindstrøm's newest take on retro-futurism (an electronic movement he helped shape). While his former works are always rooted in some sort of genre, the tracks here seem to break free from any mold he has founded. Although this may seem like it would detract from any sense of accessibility on this album, Lindstrøm's latest work is chock full of pop sensibilities. These poppy aspects of his music are only augmented by Christabelle Solale.
Solale's delicate vocals fit into any soundscape crafted by Lindstrøm with ease. Whether her voice is in the form of falsettos or slick spoken-word, its inclusion is appropriate. On “Lovesick”, she incorporates her breathy hybrid of singing and spoken-word. Her vocals on this track are perfectly combined with the electronic stylings of Lindstrøm and act as a testament to her emotions and her progression.
Solale's contributions on
Real Life Is No Cool are so much more adept than her earlier recordings it astounds me. Not only do they allow the listener to tap into her mindset, they take on separate personalities. Part of her contributions take the form of a confident voice that would blend in perfectly on any dance record. But it is the quaint little vocal stylings that fill the record with a unique personality. This unique personality is just another enjoyable aspect to be found on this remarkable release's tracks.
More straightforward tracks on this album are numerous.“Looking For What” begins the album with spoken-word samples alongside piano notes that are strewn about accordingly. Beside this arrangement lay an arpeggio and a seldom guitar chug. However, there is a sense of experimentation throughout. “So Much Fun” shows this experimentation; the track bounces from one musical idea to next in a slightly haphazard way. This is not to say that all of the tracks on
Real Life Is No Cool are scatter-shot. “Keep It Up” is a track to indulge yourself in, as the transformation of a simple synth chime into something gorgeous is an adept one. The focus displayed here makes the track all the more listenable, and the track is just as resplendent as the rest of the album.
The loose tidbits of sound mesh perfectly with Solale's versatile vocalization, and subsequently create this brilliant, dazzling record. The electronic sound here comes out fresh and exciting due to the interesting instrumental arrangement. The eclecticism does not detract from the stylish qualities of
Real Life Is No Cool. The fashionable aspects of the album mesh with the innovation, and the album comes out as an excellent achievement.
