Sugarcubes Life's Too Good CD

LIFE'S TOO GOOD introduced the world to the highly unusual charms of Iceland's Sugarcubes, setting off the meteoric rise of singer Bjork, whose otherworldly vocal gift soon become a staple of pop music's wilder side. The album's clear production and economical accompaniment set the stage perfectly for the vocal interplay of Bjork and co-vocalist Einer Orn, whose insane rants provide a humorous, unsettling foil for her primal wail. Lyrically, the album reads like imperfect translation of intellectual, if absurdist poetry--slightly awkward wording and phrasing of truly bizarre adventures of the mind and spirit.

The sultry groan of "Birthday" weaves the tale of a young girl whose thoughts are portrayed beautifully through Bjork's highly emotive vocal and child-like stream-of-consciousness imagery. On "Deus," the subject matter is far more philosophical, offset by Einar's disturbing psychosexual monologues (which find him in a bathtub with the very god whose existence the song questions). Raw sensuality is the theme of "Coldsweat," another of the hits this album produced, and further proof of Bjork's tremendous potential.

Recorded at Studio Syrland, Reykjavik, Iceland; Berry St. Studios and Orinocco Studios, London, England.

The Sugarcubes: Bjork (vocals, keyboards); Einar Orn (vocals, trumpet); Thor (guitar); Bragi (bass); Siggi (drums).

Engineers include: Kjarntan Kjartansson, Gerard Johnson, Gail Lambourne.

Alternative Press (7/01, p.96) - Included in AP's "10 Essential Women's Rock Albums" - "...Bjork's international debut...a jazzy, weird cocktail that still goes down smooth..."
CMJ (1/5/04, p.22) - Ranked #3 in CMJ's "Top 20 Most-Played Albums of 1988"