Over the last few years, Scandinavian duo Say Lou Lou have been steadily crafting a reputation for making classy, considered pop music. With a string of seductive singles and collaborations with the likes of Chet Faker, the band have teased their potential with a restraint that has only served to heighten the anticipation for their debut album. Released on Say Lou Lou’s own label, Lucid Dreaming has all the marks of a band that have taken their time learning who they are and what they want to achieve.

Awash with synths and hard-hitting beats, opening track ‘Everything We Touch’, draws us into Say Lou Lou’s world, glistening melodies reflect lyrical shimmers and time slows. A glowing confidence exudes from the song, the kind of confidence built on that untouchable feeling that you get on night out with your best friends, it sets up the album perfectly – this is our world now too, and no-one can touch us.

The album moves forward on a journey through a landscape that feels familiar, but other worldly. It is drenched in gold and vibrant colour (and reverb), as if our senses have been heightened and our inhibitions lowered. ‘Julian’ is a cinematic squall rolling through the city at midnight, ‘Games For Girls’ brings us into a euphoric house night curated by Peter Gabriel and ‘Peppermint’ paints a picture of lost love, with a melancholy reminiscent of Everything But The Girl.

It is the broad range of reference points on Lucid Dreaming that form the outline of the world it inhabits; it is comfortably nostalgic and inspiringly futuristic at the same time, but at its core the album is held together by great songs and considered, artistic production.

In short, Lucid Dreaming is an incredibly strong debut, it is an album that will make the brightest days of the summer more golden with each listen, and we will be listening to it a lot.

Lucid Dreaming is out now via á Deux.

Jamie McNicholas

@JM3McNicholas