Fra Lippo Lippi ‎– Songs

As kompressorkanonen writes on Fra Lippo Lippi's profile, this album is "a finely crafted melancholic pop album which is their best effort to date".

All the songs are beautifully written, the production is impeccable for its time, and in many ways "Songs" represents the pinnacle of what Norwegian synthpop had to offer in 1986.

This is one of the 80's-albums I keep coming back to, along with Peter Gabriel's "So", a-ha's "Scoundrel Days" and Kate Bush's "Hounds of Love".

20th anniversary remastered edition (on CD for the very first time) of the original version of Fra Lippo Lippi's "Songs", coming with a complete live album ("Crash Of Light"). Strangely melancholic 80's pop reminiscent of a more low-key, synth pop Smiths, New Order or Pet Shop Boys to some extent but they seem to have had a sound of their own (i'm finding it tough making comparisons bar Jens Lekman, who has no doubt learnt a thing or two these fellas). A great history lesson.

Taking into account the marvellous "Small Mercies" album which precedes "Songs", it's hard to describe how disappointing it is to listen to this album. Where "Small Mercies" is such a wonderful individual effort, sounding like nothing else, heart felt and bristling with excellent tunes, "Songs" is calculated middle of the road cacophony, molested by mid-80’s state of the art production values. Except the rather nice "Shouldn't Have To Be Like That" the album just sounds like a fake attempt at cash-in. Whatever happened to the likely lads?