Given that she's just 22, Youth Novels is an appropriate title for Swedish singer-songwriter Lykke Li's first album. Indeed, if there's a theme that links some of these songs together, it must surely be the trials and tribulations of being young - Li sings of struggling to express herself on "Dance Dance Dance", of isolation on "Everybody But Me", and of course the complexities of relationships on various other tracks, like "Little Bit". On the album's best songs, the combination of the superb production by Björn Yttling (of Peter, Bjorn and John fame) and Li's unique voice (which sounds at times like a cross between those of Duffy and Nina Persson from The Cardigans) is a devastatingly effective one.The trouble is that the majority of those strongest moments are on the album's brilliant first half, whereas the second half goes decidedly south. That first half contains a clutch of superb songs - from the beautiful and sweet spoken word opener "Melodies & Desires" to the near-perfect pop treat of "I'm Good, I'm Gone", a fusion of pounding drums, ominous deep piano and a wonderfully realised chorus embellished with backing vocals and glockenspiel. Edgy and yet fun, it's an album standout, but it's in good company. "Tonight" is a wonderfully lush song built on a scaffold of atmospheric, echoing drums and Li's effortlessly cute, clingy vocals as she sings "don't you let me go, let me go, let me go tonight." It's so effective you feel like irrationally shouting out, "I won't, I won't!"... or something. Maybe that's just me.Rounding off the album's stronger part are "Little Bit", which was released on the Little Bit EP last year, and "Hanging High". Both are irresistible - "Little Bit" is a coy work of conditional attraction with clever, witty lyrics and "Hanging High" starts off sounding like something from an Ennio Morricone soundtrack from a classic Sergio Leone western, as the black-clad gunman first strides into town... and then turns into another fantastically atmospheric song about feeling lost and regretful.If Youth Novels could keep up this quality to the end, we'd be looking at one of the top albums of the year, but alas, that wasn't to be. A little too long and ambitious for its own good, the album features a group of songs which whilst hardly bad, are nowhere near the pop perfection of Li's best. "Complaint Department" is a disappointing, trudging slice of electro which ultimately fails to go anywhere, and on "Time Flies" Li's voice annoys for the first time, suddenly become far too saccharine and coochy-coo to make the song listenable.The fact that the second stretch of Youth Novels can't match the first is perhaps not surprising, but certainly disappointing. Nevertheless, there is a lot to like and enjoy here and whilst not as consistent as we might hope, this is a lush, affecting and excellently produced and sung album that is well worth hearing. Li Lykke Timotej Zachrisson, as she was born, is a young lady with a future ahead of her, that's for sure. 81%Lykke Li on MySpace