SKE - Life, Death, Happiness and Stuff LP (Smekkleysa/Bad Taste - 27/09/04)

Review by Dawn

It's certainly not everyday that an album by an Icelandic pop art seven piece singing in English, French and Japanese lands on your doormat. But then Ske aren't simply your everyday band.

If you like your music full of gorgeous vocals, irresistible melodies and ideas which range from the experimental and eclectic to the kitsch and slightly quirky, Life, Death, Happiness and Stuff is the album for you.

Iceland's 2003 album of the year, it ranges from the insanely catchy Stuff and velvety, Bell X1-esque vocals of Cowboy to dreamy insturmental Strange and Deranged, while One Thing's intriguing instrumentation recalls Blur's Yuko and Hiro. It's more mainstream than fellow Icelandic exports Bjork and Sigur Ros, and it's absolutely wonderful.

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