The Sugarcubes
Life's Too Good

THE REVIEW

On June 8, 1986, something stirred in cold Iceland: even a nearly isolated land finally managed to contribute to the history of rock. A date that marks the formation of the Sugarcubes, a band born among friends, among which surely stands out the young and future diva Bjork: her atypical and alien voice intrigued everyone and was a point in favor from critics and the public, even though often the egocentrism of Einar Orn (the other vocalist) often overwhelms her with his incomprehensible verses. "Life's Too Good" is indeed one of the best-selling Icelandic rock albums ever. The first single "Birthday" caught the ear of an English critic: that new sound experimentation was certainly one of the most interesting, at a time when you were either synthetic dance pop or Phil Collins. The song is the best of the group and one of the highest peaks ever reached by Bjork: an enveloping rhythm, a pirouetting yet gentle bass, a trumpet played backwards, and Miss Gudmunsdottir sings with a fairy voice about the love story between a fifty-year-old man and a five-year-old girl: "Today is a birthday, they're smoking cigars, lying in the bathtub...". The girl torments flies and spiders, caresses her friend's beard, and digs in the earth with her mouth. An incredibly tender text, sung as if it was a spell: hypnotic and magical. However, this is the only ballad on the album: in the other songs, they strive for hardness and energy. The initial "Traitor" is really excellent in its folksy cryptic nature very similar to that of Current 93: vocals are entrusted to Einar, while Bjork sings elegies over the horizon.

"Motorcrash" is completely different, supported by an almost Caribbean rhythm: now it’s Bjork the protagonist, singing cheerfully and going wild in two minutes of pure punk, which in many parts dangerously skirts rap, with a cynical yet incredibly entertaining text. Already mentioned of "Birthday," the sum of the sugar cubes' production (also to be rediscovered is the Icelandic version, "Ammaeli") and cult, it moves on to "Delicious Demon," with a frivolous western-like rhythm: Bjork screams and gets angry, but enjoys offering a hilarious catch-all chorus.

Just from these tracks, one discovers absolute creativity: innate surrealism, flowing both in the music and the lyrics: ambiguous and erotic double entendres, praises of lobsters, kleptomania, naked men running in other people's apartments... It is still original, in fact, the text of the following piece: "Mama," tender and relentless, where the Icelandic nymph tells of a mother drawing circles of milk on her sweater. "Coldsweat" is almost dark: a good rocking structure, Bjork feverish in a truly indispensable chorus.

 "Blue Eyed Pop" is yet another madness: chewing gum-pop for one of the most dance and cheesy pieces in the entire Sugarcubes repertoire, a good fun and friendly song, which leaves room for a masterpiece (only slightly inferior to the unreachable "Birthday"), the splendid "Deus": a squabble between Einar and Bjork, intertwining in a hypnotic and sensual babble. "Deus...Deus" whispers the girl, while Einar praises lobsters. The sound structure is beautiful: a decisive rhythm and one of the best bass lines.

"Sick For Toys" is yet another stroke of genius: punk-wave cure style in which Bjork turns into a kleptomaniac in need of toys... Impossible not to have fun. "Fucking In Rhythmn And Sorrow" is another masterpiece: frivolous and with a country opening, it unfolds in an irreversible game of pop singing and acting: "a divorced lady arrives home from a bar, guess what she sees? there is a naked person in my flat he's got a weird expression on his face!". The rhythm drags on, until Bjork seems truly unleashed, appearing as a pop star with punk in her head. It closes with the febrile and delirious fragment of "Take Some Petrol Darling."

An album absolutely to have, which proves surreal and avant-garde even now: peaks of absolute delirium contrasted with moments of unprecedented beauty. Unique, fun, and knowledgeable music, as true light music albums should be.

Reissued with additional remixes of "Deus" and "Coldsweat" and the b-sides "Cat", "Dragon", "I Want" and "Cowboy".