Review Summary: As enjoyable as it is frustrating. "Are we really who we pretend to be?"
Twin sisters Miranda and Elektra have quite the pedigree, being the daughters of Steve Kilbey (from Australian alt-rockers The Church) and Karin Jansson (from Swedish punk band Pink Champagne). However, as Say Lou Lou, the twenty-three year olds predominantly eschew their upbringing and specialize in a dreamy brand of electro-pop that treads a fine line between acclaimed indie coolness and commercial accessibility. Following a couple of years of mild hype and a collection of promising singles, the duo’s belated debut LP ‘Lucid Dreaming’ is finally upon us... And it is as frustrating a record as it is enjoyable.
Excluding previous singles ‘Maybe You’ and ‘Better In The Dark’, ‘Lucid Dreaming’ kicks off with the satisfyingly measured build-up of opener ‘Everything We Touch’, before the disco undertones of ‘Glitter’ give way to the clubby aesthetic of the Lindstrom produced ‘Games For Girls’. This latter track is predominantly at odds with the rest of the album - especially vocally - with the twins taking on an immature tone which suggests that it would have made for a better stand-alone single. As if to emphasize the diversity (or confusion, depending on your viewpoint), the subsequent ‘Julian’ creates a dark and melancholic atmosphere that would have felt right at home on the ‘Drive‘ soundtrack. It is here and on 'Beloved' where Say Lou Lou feel most suited, since they are able to instil a sense of harmony and melody into even the most moody of tunes.
While far from innovative, Say Lou Lou utilize a grab-bag of influences that range from Scandinavian songstresses such as Annie and Robyn all the way through to trans-Atlantic acts like Chvrches and MS MR. A borderline mimicking of Lana Del Rey even smacks you in the face on sultry mid-album pairing ‘Angels (Above Me)’ and ‘Peppermint’, as the Kilbeys reflect upon “smoking another Camel Blue”. While their want to at least show a guise of organic instrumentation (drumbeats play a surprisingly pronounced role) is admirable, lush synth soundscapes rule the roost here, with the production as uneven as the record itself. Swedes Addeboy vs Cliff helm most of the album, with Brits Jim Eliot and Liam Howe (of trip-hoppers Sneaker Pimps) also contributing their production services.
“Are we really who we pretend to be” asks one of the sisters on ‘Angels (Above Me)’... And it’s a question that listeners may well ask of Say Lou Lou. The fact that father Steve Kilbey has admitted that he “cannot tell the girl's voices apart” is telling, since it occasionally lends an icy and detached feel to the album that partially stunts what should be two trademark strengths: character and emotion. Further confusion surrounding the aforementioned question lies in the duo’s want – or lack thereof – to take their sound in a commercially accessible direction. One gets the feeling that they will have to make such a decision prior to album number two. Until then, what we have here with 'Lucid Dreaming' is an enjoyable - but flawed - debut LP that hints at something special, but whose sum of its parts are ultimately greater than the whole.
Recommended Tracks: Everything We Touch, Peppermint, Julian & Beloved
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