Swedish indie/rock duo Little Lies drop EP “Us Against the World”
Swedish indie/rock duo, Little Lies have just released their debut EP “Us Against The World” via Cosmos Music. The 5-track EP includes previous singles Carolina and Swallowed Up In Space alongside 3 brand new tracks Signals Crossed, Destination Unknown and the title track.
Little Lies is a project from established musicians and friends Mikael Nordgren and Anna Maria Espinosa. Stockholm-based Mikael Nordgren has forged a solid international career as a prestigious and sought-after underground producer, remix specialist and DJ. As Tiger Stripes he has toured the world's top clubbing destinations including Ministry of Sound and DC-10.
Anna Maria Espinosa is one of Sweden’s most established singers, and has in addition to her own solo career, sung with pop royalty such as Neneh Cherry, Grammy Award-winning American soul singer, Billy Paul & Kevin Rowland frontman for the pop band Dexys Midnight Runners among many others. Since she started her career, she has sung with a large section of Sweden's artist elite both on stage and on their songs.
Together, as Little Lies, this duo has created something unique by combining a wealth of experience and sharp,innovative production, alongside one of Sweden's most established voices. Little Lies are ready to break new ground by sharing their music not only with their Swedish contemporaries and fans but across the globe.
Photo (c) Martin Landl
The EP set the scene for what we can expect from their forthcoming debut album "Destination Unknown", a collection of melodic, genre-hopping tracks which carry a clear but humble nod to the band's common denominator and all-time idol Fleetwood Mac, the band also draws inspiration from the likes of Crosby Stills & Nash, Warpaint, King Tubby and Twin Peaks among others. The album will land later in 2023.
Little Lies are one of those bands that are hard to fit into any one genre. There’s elements of indie rock, and the light bubbly sound also has a pop feel to it. But with this, the electronic influence is clear to hear, and the soft sweeping vocals from Anna Maria have an old 70’s folk feel to them. Indeed the use of a Hammond organ-like sound in places to this retro 70’s The Doors feel/sound.
Throughout the EP, the sonic atmosphere generated is light and upbeat, but the lyrics counter balance this, often dark and heartbroken. It’s as if the music is designed to be the sense of strength, a hope for a better future / outcome.
The opening track is a great example, as Us Against the World leads with swirling synth tones mixed with crisp guitar notes giving it a dreamy other-worldly feel. The lyrics are bleak, painting a picture of someone moving on, and leaving you alone, remembering how together they fought the world “The Moon is gone, there’s no sense in going on. Stars they bleed, skies are bruised. You fell away, found your way to a brighter day. Left me here, without a fuse. It was us against the world”
Swallowed Up in Space is a cracking track, and for me reminded me somewhat of Blood Red Shoes with hints of The Primitives as well. Simple reverb guitar strums provide the delicate structure around which the rest is entwined, emphasised by some subtle synth tones in arpeggiated form. On top of this Anna Maria’s vocals drift loosely and yes so perfectly.
Again the darkness of the lyrics shines, with it’s sense of loss but acceptance, moving on: “In my mind, I've closed this book a hundred times. Time to fly, I have learned what I can’t change. A dream is dying, but no one's crying. I close my eyes then I leave this place. You and me got swallowed up in space”. Simply beautiful, my favourite track on the EP.
In Carolina you can really hear the influence of their (joint) idols Fleetwood Mac, with organ sounds giving it that retro feel, along with the stunning vocal performance as she challenges someone about an affair and if they’ve been wasting Caroline’s time. The music rises and soars around the vocals creating a wealth of emotions.
With Signals Crossed the pace slows for a more laid-back structure, with echo added to create an ethereal, almost ska guitar tone at times in the breaks. A song about two people who seem to be drifting apart, with one lost and the other trying to hang on, but communications not working and finally giving up: “ Do you receive my transmissions? Are you lost? What’s your position? Can you see, my beacon flashing? I’m right here………. Moments missed and meanings lost, I guess we got our signals crossed. Time’s run out, my hope is gone. Been shooting in the dark too long”. So sad.
Finally, we have Destination Unknown. An instrumental piece with simple vocal “la la’s” to add a level of human emotion. It’s bright ad catchy with dreamy melodic soundscapes, and a light synth ‘cascade’ feature, which just reminded me immediately of something similar in
Phil Oakley & Georgio Moroder’s classic Together in Electric Dreams.
It kind of feels a fitting end to the EP. Musically the whole experience has been bright, counter-positioned against the darker, emotional lyrics. But every track has had a sense of hope, of optimism, and now as it closes Destination Unknown lifts the spirits and sets the listener on a new course.
A really interesting EP from a band who refuse to be confined by any one genre. Thoroughly enjoyable and a solid 8.5 from LiveWire Music. I’m looking forward to what the debut album “Destination Unknown” will bring.
