LINDSTROM & CHRISTABELLE - Real Life Is No Cool

Disco remix maestro Hans-Peter Lindstrom follows up his solo album of 2008 and last year’s collaboration with Prins Thomas with another joint venture – this time with Norwegian vocalist Christabelle Sandoo.

Real Life Is No Cool opens in fine fettle with the breezy disco pop of Looking For What. This track, and the entire record, leans towards Lindstrom’s additional love of 60s and 70s rock and pop, strongly focused on solid songwriting and sophisticated production. This certainly gives Looking For What a rich, earthy feel, delivering opulent pop melodies with a spacey, funky disco underbelly.

Lovesick is equally unflappable, yet refined, combining intermittent piano chords with throbbing bass and Christabelle’s sultry, accented vocal.

Real Life Is No Cool is particularly strong on melodies throughout. In fact, Keep It Up is an unashamedly lightweight pop contender – with sprightly keys bouncing over ticking electronic rhythms and interloping, saccharin sweet vocals.

Baby Can’t Stop throws percussive Prince pop into the brew, even incorporating the diminutive one’s famous detuned, off-the-beat snare drum. Flickering funky guitars and brass stabs add to this wholly likeable dancepop track.

And there’s more to come, via the involving So Much Fun, with its sidewinding guitars clashing amidst lightweight dance beats and multifarious interlocking vocals. Studying the production; little stands out, but everything works well when meshed together, the key to a good producer and songwriter that does not have to rely on gimmicks or any one signature sound.

The only disappointment of what is a remarkably consistent album is the track Never Say Never, played almost wholly in reverse. Whatever the reason for its addition, it’s a pointless one that only interrupts the flow of the record, which is thankfully quickly restored on the closing, High & Low. Again, further shades of Prince, with its slow, balladic feel emitting soft beats, striking melody keys and soulful vocals with random bursts of electric guitar.

All in all, a very good album - accessible, yet leftfield enough to inspire willing ears, Lindstrom deserves a wider audience for this perfect balance of strong songwriting with pungent vocals and flawless production.



	LINDSTROM & CHRISTABELLE - Real Life Is No Cool
	8.4
	Smalltown Supersound ~ STS159CD ~ 18th January 2010
	Disco remix maestro Hans-Peter Lindstrom follows up his solo album of 2008 and last year’s collaboration with Prins Thomas with another joint venture – this time with Norwegian vocalist Christabelle Sandoo. Real Life Is No Cool opens in fine fettle with the breezy disco pop of Looking For What. This track, and the entire record, leans towards Lindstrom’s additional love of 60s and 70s rock and pop, strongly focused on solid songwriting and sophisticated production. This certainly gives Looking For What a rich, earthy feel, delivering opulent pop melodies with a spacey, funky disco underbelly. Lovesick is equally unflappable, yet refined, combining intermittent piano chords with throbbing bass and Christabelle’s sultry, accented vocal. Real Life Is No Cool is particularly strong on melodies throughout. In fact, Keep It Up is an unashamedly lightweight pop contender – with sprightly keys bouncing over ticking electronic rhythms and interloping, saccharin sweet vocals. Baby Can’t Stop throws percussive Prince pop into the brew, even incorporating the diminutive one’s famous detuned, off-the-beat snare drum. Flickering funky guitars and brass stabs add to this wholly likeable dancepop track. And there’s more to come, via the involving So Much Fun, with its sidewinding guitars clashing amidst lightweight dance beats and multifarious interlocking vocals. Studying the production; little stands out, but everything works well when meshed together, the key to a good producer and songwriter that does not have to rely on gimmicks or any one signature sound. The only disappointment of what is a remarkably consistent album is the track Never Say Never, played almost wholly in reverse. Whatever the reason for its addition, it’s a pointless one that only interrupts the flow of the record, which is thankfully quickly restored on the closing, High & Low. Again, further shades of Prince, with its slow, balladic feel emitting soft beats, striking melody keys and soulful vocals with random bursts of electric guitar. All in all, a very good album - accessible, yet leftfield enough to inspire willing ears, Lindstrom deserves a wider audience for this perfect balance of strong songwriting with pungent vocals and flawless production.