Lindstrøm & Christabelle – Real Life Is No Cool

By the time Christabelle's velvety voice emerges from the cacophony at the beginning of Lindstrøm & Christabelle's Real Life Is No Cool with the question "What should we do?" you really are prepared to hear anything in response. And, over the course of this sprawling, imaginative album, what Hans-Peter Lindstrøm gives us is a fresh sonic collage of styles and sounds that serves as both a nod to his influences and his pioneering past, as well as a complete change in direction for the Norwegian producer.Gone are the dense, arduous 20+ minute tracks of his recent releases, replaced here with clean, compact dance numbers that still maintain the soulful inventiveness that Lindstrøm is known for. It helps that he sounds invigorated by working with longtime collaborator, and fellow Norwegian, Christabelle, whose vocal range and simmering passion shines through on every track. Their inherent comfort level allows them both to feel free to experiment with futuristic ideas, but also to be secure enough to rework and cultivate a classic, vintage sound (including two songs, 'Music in My Mind' and 'Let’s Practice,' that were initially released in the middle of the last decade, when Christabelle was known as Solale). As a result, Real Life Is No Cool has a thoroughly modern spirit while still managing to coalesce decades of dance music into one fluid statement.After the penetrating bass line and questioning vocals of 'Looking For What' establishes the glassy ambiance of the album, the piano-laden funk of 'Lovesick' really kicks the record into gear. While the predominance of vocals threaded throughout these songs might shock longtime fans of Lindstrøm's work, Christabelle's sultry crooning never sounds obtrusive or superfluous, often enlivening and personalizing the tracks, giving them an organic, homespun feel despite their sonic sophistication. The album flows seamlessly, progressing effortlessly through many different eras of music from track to track, with echoes of early 80's-era Prince in 'Let It Happen' to a more discernible homage to Michael Jackson's 'Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' on 'Baby Can't Stop.'The scattershot lyrics were supposedly crafted on the spot by Christabelle in the studio, and were subsequently truncated by Lindstrøm and layered through the songs liberally. While they are occasionally head-scratching in their simplicity, they never aim to offer anything other than release, which goes hand in hand with the uplifting air of the album. This is most assuredly a buoyant work that is more interested in helping the listener cast-off their concerns and dance than it is in making any real cerebral connection. Lindstrøm shows off his deft virtuosity throughout the proceedings, but reigns his vision in enough to keep these songs taut and lively, which results in a very smooth, stylish record. So now that the duo has emphatically answered the question of "What should we do?" we have to wonder just what they'll do next.

Buy the album from Real Life Is No Cool | [itunes link="http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/high-low/id343054578?uo=4" title="Lindstr%c3%b8m_Christabelle-Real_Life_Is_No_Cool_(Album)" text="iTunes"]