Tove Lo: Lady Wood

In a repetitive attempt at proving herself to be an edgy and defiant woman, Lo’s self-portrayal as a feminist is juxtaposed with unimaginative lyrics, concealing what would otherwise be an excellent set of beats and catchy harmonies.

Generally focused around partying, sex, drink and drugs, there’s nothing unsurprising about this addition to what’s out there in dance-pop. The title track seems to defeat the artist’s objectives of confidence and no-damns-given; on that note, much of what she has to say has to do with self-deprecation and not being able to get by without the sleazy affections of some guy or other.

In Lo’s world, everything is a blur, and accordingly, so are her lyrics. Ignore what she’s saying and sure, you have an album you can really move to – ‘Cool Girl’ is just one of the toe-tappers, with an effect layered over Lo’s vocals to shake up the otherwise standard dance material.

Similarly, ‘Vibes’ makes effective use of an acoustic guitar and the addition of vocals from Joe Janiak.

Otherwise, Lady Wood is an exercise in monotony.