lambchops's Full Review: Life's Too Good by The Sugarcubes
Most fans of contemporary music know the name Bjork and automatically associate her with her own creatively free and emotionally charged brand of electronica. Before the Icelantic pixie went solo, she was a member of the band Sugarcubes. It was with this creative entity that Bjork Gunmundsdottir was awarded her first taste of international fame.
The Sugarcubes officially formed in Reykjavik, Iceland during 1986. But in reality, Bjork along with Einar Benediktsson (vocals, trumpet) and Siggi Baldursson (drums) worked together in post-punk noise band KUKL starting in 1984. They evolved two years later into the Sugarcubes with the addition of Thor Jonson (guitar) and Bragi Olafsson (bass) and were signed within a year to Elektra in the United States.
This record deal soon led to the release of the Sugarcubes major label debut Life’s Too Good. The songs are wound tightly around Bjork’s distinctive, yowling vocals. And to hear her voice backed by more traditional rock instruments is refreshing…especially considering her later more commercially successful dealings in electronica. Fanciful, optimistic, outlandish, and appealing Life’s Too Good is an absolutely invigorating album. In addition, the seventeen tracks here are unlike anything else of the day. The Sugarcubes would be a much more accessible band today than they were nearly fifteen years ago. Life’s Too Good was a near-brilliant album recorded and released well before its time.
Bjork was able to catapult toward stardom on the basis of her success with her Icelandic band. Both Motorcrash and Birthday were modest hits stateside and in Britain. Fortunately for the five members of the band, the album consisted of much more than those two hits. Slipping this disc into the stereo is a unique experience of sound and emotion. It digs deeply into the skin and leaves the heart dancing. The album is on the whole impressive…discounting of course the fact that Einar isn’t much of a singer. Bjork is the star of this show. All eyes…errr ears…are focused precisely where they should be—on unique and lively singer.
Life’s Too Good kicks off with the above average track Traitor. The song is obviously out of the 1980’s with a jangle-pop-rock almost Joshua Tree-era U2 feel. It is with Motorcrash that the album really picks up. Bjork sings with wispy and intensely evocative vigor. The song was an easy hit for late-1980’s college radio as a result of the tendency toward upbeat, avant-garde pop. Of course, the lyrics are of less interest than the vocals and melody…the band is Icelandic and possesses an obviously crude knowledge of the English language.
Saw the injured parents
Cuts on the children
An awful motorcrash
So dangerous motorcrash
So terribly bloody
Motorcrash
Even more appealing is the other hit, Birthday. Disregarding the “real” drums, guitar, and bass this is a song that vocally foreshadows Bjork’s solo success. The melody is repetitive, brooding, and intelligent and the free wielding Bjork belts out the lyrics with a growl and yelp. Birthday is a musical masterpiece.
Delicious Demon possesses an amazing chorus. Upbeat and absolutely vitalizing, the song splits vocal duty in half between Einar and Bjork. Einar chants while Bjork emotes with her usual and expected level of energy. Delicious Demon is a must-listen experience unto itself. And while Mama isn’t nearly as good a song it’s still a worthwhile track. A ballad of sorts, the song fills the space nicely without sounding forced.
The Sugarcubes stumbles a bit on Coldsweat. Unlike some of the other songs, this one sounds dated. The best tracks on Life’s Too Good are as timeless and perfect today as they were in 1988. Unfortunately, while Coldsweat is a great song it also is reminiscent a bit too much of INXS as interpreted by Bjork. Great song…just somehow misplaced. Also rather dated is the unfortunate Einar-led Blue Eyed Pop. Again it feels a bit too much like INXS to be original.
Deus is a clean, dazzling track. Bjork calms down just long enough to come off as thoughtful and graceful while Einar only occasionally chimes in with his usual chants. The percussion is repetitive while the guitars and various other instruments prove to be the driving force. All of the elements combined (including Einar) creative a wonderful on which Bjork can yelp “Deus Deus” repeatedly.
Sick for Toys has a nice melody with Bjork yelping the title repeatedly just behind Einar’s heavily accented punk delivery. While listeners will want to enjoy this track, the bad vocals are too much to overcome. Einar unfortunately ruins the song. But all is redeemed when F*cking in Rhythm & Sorrow makes up for all Einar misdeeds. An up-tempo pop-rock track it has hints of country music interwoven neatly with Bjork’s refreshing yowls. The purpose of Take Some Petrol Darling is difficult to decipher aside from a simple bridge from one part of the album to the next.
Cowboy is a decent track but at times seems to lack cohesion. Einar grunts feverishly while Bjork yelps just over the top of jingle jangle pop. Not a great song, but also not the worst on this album. Much the same things apply to the muddled and dark I Want.
The Sugarcubes include two exceptionally bizarre songs recorded in their native language. Neither is in the least bit accessible nor do they even seem particularly inspired. The first, Dragon, consists simply of Einar grunting and yelling while the second, Cat, is a retro effort focusing more on Bjork. The latter of the two is superior if only because of Einar’s near total absence.
The final two tracks are remixes of the earlier Coldsweat and Deus. The original version of Coldsweat is vastly superior to the half-hearted redux. Deus is a very strong song to start with and the remix is even more amazing. Yes, it is possible to top oneself with a rehashed track. Featuring a heavier dose of electronica and keyboards the song is an ambitious, entertaining effort. In addition, strings ranging from a violin to a cello and viola are fused just behind Bjork’s amazing vocalizations. The Deus remix is one of the best songs here…if not the best.
Life’s Too Good is a great album. Most of the songs are perfect while there are a few that are mediocre and even bad (see Dragon for a truly horrendous track). This is a must own for fans of indie rock/pop and Bjork alike. The Sugarcubes lasted for just two subsequent albums before Bjork went on her own and became a solo success story. Neither 1989’s Here Today, Tomorrow Next Week! nor 1992’s Stick Around for Joy neared the creative freedom or appeal of the band’s debut.
Rating: 4/5 stars
Track Listing:
01. Traitor
02. Motorcrash
03. Birthday
04. Delicious Demon
05. Mama
06. Coldsweat
07. Blue Eyed Pop
08. Deus
09. Sick for Toys
10. F*cking in Rhythm & Sorrow
11. Take Some Petrol Darling
12. Cowboy
13. I Want
14. Dragon [Icelandic]
15. Cat [Icelandic]
16. Coldsweat [Remix]
17. Deus [Remix]
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