SKINNY DET LYCKLIGA LIVET ALBUM W RELEASE: NOVEMBER, 2000 REVIEW: DECEMBER 6, 2000

Skinny is a poet, primarily. He takes great pride in his Swedish lyrics and often relate to prior life events. Tales of lost and newfound love, skilfully written, but we've all heard the essence of it many times before. What we haven't heard is the crisp, warm sound on "Det lyckliga livet", an album being in the works for several years before finally seeing daylight this November.
Skinny's debut album is to be enjoyed in its entirety, with all the smooth edges and soft forms exposed. "Vill du se en stjärna (Se inte på mig)" opens the path on which tender electronics and emotional, varied vocals stroll peacefully hand in hand. "Det lyckliga livet" is a coherent album, with strong bits in all compositions, some better than others, but not one single track can erase the stupid grin on my face.
The Adolphson & Falk and Kraftwerk influences are obvious, but nursed properly to create something new. Skinny also has a predilection for Swedish music poet legends like Wiehe and also covers him in "Flickan och kråkan". The result is brilliant.
With Swedish lyrics, and a foundation in "normal" pop, Skinny may not appeal to the hardcore synth fanatics, but I was blown away. "Det lyckliga livet" is an exceptional electronic poet soundtrack and most certainly a safe candidate on my upcoming yearlist.

NIKLAS FORSBERG