Last year was a great year for Nordic musicians, between the breakout of Tove Lo, the release of Lykke Li’s critically acclaimed third album, the much hyped Röyksopp/Robyn EP and the inevitable breakup of The Knife.
There’s certainly never a shortage of forward-thinking musical exports coming out of Sweden, with many pop music super producers and songwriters calling it home, so why should this year be any different?
Enter Say Lou Lou.
Sisters Miranda and Elektra Kilbey-Jansson are about to release their debut album, “Lucid Dreaming,” next month through their own label, à Deux, but it’s been no easy feat to get as far as they are now.
Beginning with the release of their 2012 single “Maybe You,” the band garnered media attention for its hushed instrumental dreamscapes and cherubic vocal delivery.
By that time next year, the duo were longlisted for BBC’s Sound of 2014 Poll that collects together the 15 most promising musical acts of the next year. It should be no surprise that previous winners include the likes of Ellie Goulding, Sam Smith, and Haim.
Unfortunately, not all artists that end up on the list have similar luck, as Say Lou Lou announced their debut LP “Lucid Dreaming” in August 2014 before suffering several delays that have moved the release to a solid Q1.
The pair’s ability to fuse together elements of deep house against dream wave in tracks like the sparkling Lindstrøm produced “Games for Girls” is something that has yet to be seen in their other contemporaries.
The resulting album is a product of two years of incubation, from touring and constant self-discovery, as both people and musicians to determine what ultimately represents Say Lou Lou. The tracklist seems cobbled together from the duo’s previously released singles and b-sides. However, that does not affect the quality of the record.
By the end of 2015, Say Lou Lou will still be one of the most buzzed-about artists, and the proof is in “Lucid Dreaming.”
