Life's Too Good

Caught me off guard. Really enjoyed this.

This is cool glimpse into early Bjork - you can really hear some of the same themes that she returns to for Human Behavior many years later.

Bjork is great as always

Icelandic pop perfection

Love this. Björk's voice is so unique and the sugar cubes really rocked. Not heard any of these songs before (I think Hit is the only one of theirs I know). Good fun.

I will become a cowboy 🤠 Cool album with Bjork and some early alt rock sounds

I really disliked when the guy sang/talked but wow I was really into bjork’s voice, never listened to her before. I can see how she was influenced by that early 80s new wave alt rock female vocal style, but she totally builds on and surpasses it. I don’t usually like this genre but bjonk makes it cool

Obviously Bjork. But also the drumming in this is really fun and exciting. The sense of humor of everyone in the band is notable throughout the album. Listening to the Icelandic lyrics is also fun, despite not understanding any of the words.

Damn fine album. Post-punk meets 80s synth pop. Bjork catches a lot of slack, but like Yoko Ono, her skill is in her range and this album doesn't suffer as a result. This is a revisit-worthy album. 4/5.

The Sugarcubes: great band with a one of a kind incredible lead singer and a sometimes secondary lead singer who wishes he was Frank Black. Rilo Kiley: great band with a one of a kind incredible lead singer and a sometimes secondary lead singer who wishes he was Elliott Smith.

I don’t even really fully understand why, but… I really like this album. I know I shouldn’t. It’s just so odd it’s appealing. And I enjoy the music. Birthday is one of my favorite songs. I don’t mean just on the album, I mean favorite songs. Bjork’s vocals bridge ethereal and gutteral and it works for me.

Bjork!

Very interesting album. As always, Bjork is perfect. On the drum side, it feels like Neil Peart playing in a post-punk band and it's really cool. Among the other musicians, I feel a strong desire to innovate. However, it looks like a young group whose best is yet to come, with songs just not yet fully developed or compositions not strong enough. It's hard to rate this album. I feel in a good mood: 4 stars.

A 'kids in the dressing up box' of an album, but it just works.

I was listening to this and thought, "huh, the lead singer is really doing their best Bjork impression." Cue me being surprised to learn that this was the band Bjork was in before she made it big! Listening to Bjork is an experience, and look, realistically not everyone's going to like that experience. I happen to enjoy it a lot. I think her vocals are unique, weird, and strong. So for me this album was totally enjoyable, but I can see why some people are turned off by it.

Nice to see this on the list. I listened to all of Bjork's pre-solo projects a few years ago, and some of them just had novelty/curiosity appeal, but The Sugarcubes are good on their own terms! Nice mixture of post-punk and alt-rock. I remember their next two albums sound more poppy, so this is probably the one to get. Bjork's dynamic vocals are a strong presence - but I would recommend this even to people who aren't fans of her solo stuff. 4*

What a voice. Bjork is a revelation and the music and songs are great too. 3.75 🌟

A joy to hear this!

It has taken me a few days to write a review of this. That is partially procrastination, but there was also a desire to let the album sit for a day or two. This is an album of quite some density. I would have also said of some uniqueness, but the post-punk/goth/indie roots of this are unmistakable. In that regard, it does the job rather finely. Often the album charms in its quirkiness, but of course that word warns of the possiblity for irritation. For me, it avoided that, but I would not battle someone who found it properly flossed their punani. Along with that, I think it just narrowly misses the knock-out blow tthat would make it a full 5-starrer. Maybe another listen would bump it up, but maybe not. Still, great fun.

Albums like Life's Too Good are precious because they found great artists at their beginnings... and show all the promise that will be fulfilled lated. Just plain fun, and brilliant at the same time.

I never thought that Björk was actually a member of a band, let alone a post-punk band! Ans she's on fire here, carrying an incredible vocal energy while staying in the post-punk territory. The instrumentals, while generic at some places, are great too. Love the drum beats on some tracks. Overall, with such volcanic vocals and cool instrumentals, this slightly exotic album is equivalent to a little walk in one of my favorite countries.

Icelandic Post-Punk Pop, now there is a Genre! wonderful debut by the Sugar Cubes, super high octane post-punk pop and dare I say the introduction to the world of the force of nature that is Bjork! wonderful stuff from the band rightfully on the list. Favourites are "MotorCrash" "Birthday" and "Coldsweat" Rightfully on the list here!

Iso peukku, positiivinen yllättäjä

Extremely enjoyable. Björk's vocals are incredibly unique.

Enjoyed this one, different in a good cool edgy way. The Bjork vocals are great

Really enjoyed. Bizarre and fascinating, loved the mischievous feel and rhythms.

Cool, enjoyed this a lot

Deze vind ik leuk! Ga ik nog wel vaker luisteren.

Bjork heeft zo een toffe stem! Maakt me helemaal vrolijk! Graaf album!

A truly unique take. Interesting to hear a more poppy side of Björk.

I was about to write a review about how good this sounds by itself but how much it is elevated by the singers performance. Then I realized its Björk so yeah that's suddenly incredibly obvious. This a good one

-Pretty cool album. Good number of solid tracks. "Delicious Demon" is definitely my favorite -Pretty good. Not mind blowing, but just generally nice tracks with interesting stuff going on

Björk is on fire.

What a voice. Bjork is a revelation and the music and songs are great too. 3.75 🌟

This album has a fun infectiousness. Bjork sounds right at home in front of a post punk band. Delicious Demon is a sleeper hit. That was so fun!

pretty cool i wish it was longer. love bjorks voice

The Sugar Cubes were too early. But considering Björk apparently had a record deal when she was all of 11 years old, maybe they were right on time. This is the album No Doubt wished they could have made. And like Gwen Stefani, Björk was too big of a personality to just front some band. Bigger things like swan suits and Spike Jonze videos awaited her. They key track here is "Birthday", a song I listened to so many times that I'm sure my Spotify algorithm exploded.

Gooder

really not that bad. 4 is a bit of a stretch but 3 is too little. Will check them out more

Good knew nothing if it but enjoyable album

Strange first exposure to Bjork but ok. I love post-punk, and the Sugarcubes do everything right to fill in the checkmarks. It's like if the B-52s went the alt rock route rather than synth-based New Wave route. Bjork's voice sometimes sounds like the Cranberries's lead except Icelandic which is close enough to Irish. Songs are impactful and weird, with my favorites being Birthday and Deus.

now this is my style. i can't get enough of björk's vocals. her voice is so expressive and pairs perfectly with the... for lack of better words, spunky, instrumentals. #1 Birthday #2 Motorcrash #3 Delicious Demon

Great sound

was very chaotic but i kinda liked it. the band björk was in

love love love

Great album!

This is extremely up my alley, it's some weird upbeat alternative rock stuff with Bjork singing.

Funky Icelandic rock

80s poppy rock, some songs were great

Unexpected hit. Bjork's vocals really made the chaos shine. Sounds like a love child between the Cranberries and the B52s.

Björk band!!

I was pleasantly surprised to find that this unknown alternative rock band has such an identity in their music.

great one, fast and straight to the point. very enjoyable

La loquita ya venía haciendo de las suyas desde entonces.

Good album some great tracks. Different vocals keep it fresh

Surprisingly great and entertaining rock album

Hat mir eigentlich sehr gefallen

That moment of horror where I realize “wow that singer sounds like Bjork”, then “oh damn that definitely is Bjork” All jokes aside she’s a lot better in this format than in her solo stuff and I don’t think it’s particularly close. The much fuller sound of a band supporting her voice works surprisingly well, and honestly the instrumentation is damn solid; I like a lot of the guitar riffs and Cold Sweat highlights that better than anything else. There’s still some moments where I kinda have to roll my eyes cause Bjork still sings like Bjork; it’s just frustrating since she shows time and time again that she’s got an amazing voice but refuses to use it in the way she should. The last couple songs in particular really go off the rails and are just a bit too weird for me, not a fan at all. Definitely the best I’ve heard out of Bjork so far, really think she’s better suited for a front woman of a band rather than whatever her solo work is. My opinion of her is slightly higher

This may leave you in a Coldsweat. Don’t tell Mama, though.

Okayish

This didn't really stand out for me in any way, shape of form.

Another one of those 'I'm sure this hit hard at the time' records for me. I am a post-punk fan and a lot of these tunes do not have a hook.

Really distinctive voice. Some of the other vocals are a bit distracting though.

Bjork before Bjork. It's not bad, but I didn't love it. Certainly breaks the mould and they quite probably defined something new in the post-punk/alt rock scene.

I really like the switching between Bjork and the backing singer, it adds some variety to the album that works really well. There is a lot of fun and poppy tracks on this like motor crash, which is super weird but I think it works really well. Bjork is obviously a standout with her incredible vocals but I think for this album to be a bit better it just needs to be a bit less goofy and get their ideas down. Birthday was really great.

Nice one.

I kind of liked this. It was fun!

The Sugarcubes? That rings a bell... Oh, right - Björk’s old band. What sounds pretty cool on paper is, for the most part, just that: I really like Thór Eldon’s guitar sound, and the song structures suit Björk quite well - especially when compared to her later solo work. The songs fall somewhere between new wave/post-punk, dark wave/EBM, and the alternative experiments we’ve all come to expect from Björk. Unfortunately, there are also passages that are uncomfortably reminiscent of the B-52s. On top of that, Einar Örn Benediktsson’s vocals have the potential to really get on your nerves. This makes “Life’s Too Good” an interesting discovery, but one that’s only good in parts. It was probably more fun back in 1988.

6/10 Buen album. No hay mucho para decir, me gusto

I'm glad this is on the list.

Great early bjork. What a surprise!

Es ist ein quirliges, schräges Debüt, das mit Björks ungezähmter Stimme und kantigem Post‑Punk sofort auffällt. Die Energie ist frisch, manchmal aber auch so verspielt und chaotisch, dass die Songs eher auseinanderdriften als zusammenfinden.

This listening experience mirrored my earlier adventure of “Bjork was in a band! Why haven’t I heard of this! This song is pretty good! These next songs are ok! These other songs are still going! I guess that’s why I’ve never heard of this! Bonus star for general weirdness.

3.2/5

cool

Bonkers with a capital B. Bjorks mental vocals coupled with an odd German-sounding bloke, utterly random lyrics and some pretty cool music makes for a rollercoaster of an album. First half isn't the strongest but I really enjoyed Delicious Demon, Deus is really catchy and Sick For Toys made me laugh. A crazy but really fun album. 3.5/5.

Decent listen.

Björk is freaking amazing (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️). The band is decent (⭐️⭐️⭐️). Einar is awful (⭐️). Many of the songs start out great and then fall apart when that dude opens his mouth. It's no wonder Björk went solo. She was definitely carrying this band on her back.

Some really solid late 80s pop. Nothing world changing but enjoyable

I think I owned this one on cassette, but I don't remember it sounding quite like this --- I like it.

My experience with this type of music has been that when I was aware of less examples of it, I enjoyed it more. Like angular jangly guitars and things like that. Because of how my life worked out I heard Bjork's solo music before I heard The Sugarcubes. So now when I hear this it sounds like Bjork in front of a fairly straightforward new wave sound. It's not too bad, there weren't too many songs I would put on a playlist or anything. If anything I appreciate that it came from somewhere slightly geographically/socially different than England. That and the merciful ~30 minute runtime earn an extra star

3.5, taking half a star off for the male “vocalist”

Wanted to like it but then the vocals went bad.

At first I thought, “wow maybe Bjork just needed a band around her”. This album starts off strong with great songs, but gets weirder and weirder as it goes on… Rating: 5/10 Favorite Song: Traitor

Blind album and artist. Interesting and intriguing, but not memorable. Cool artwork and colors though. 3.

Fun, a bit too zany

A very promising and energetic young post-punk band with an experimental Icelandic edge and a mesmerising lead singer in the form of Bjork. The Sugarcubes have that classic smudged and scratchy 1980s gothic post-punk sound but their explorative nature sets them apart. The best moments are where Bjork is given space to flex her vocals a bit and provide a unique performance. The joyful Birthday is a smash hit and this album's highlight.

3.5/5 pretty good stuff I like bjork vocals more

Interesting in terms of Björks vita and a real pleasant listen too. Strong three stars. favourite: "Delicious Demon", "Blue Eyed Pop", "Deus", Sick For Toys" 3,5

Great!!! My favorite is "Birthday" 🎂 Thank you, awesome💘

Chic tweetz

Not bad and in hindsight important in introducing Björk but without this historical context I feel it doesn’t stand out from other new wave fare except for a song or two, like Birthday. She can really scream.

Early Bjork

Did not know this was where Bjork got her start. A cool listen, but just wasn't my style. A bit too punk

You mean this isn't the b-52s? I liked birthday. The rest was okay. I guess it is of the era, but not necessarily something I'd seek out.

Bjork sounded like Bjork from the beginning. An interesting listen. 3/5.

It was very cool to learn that Björk was the lead vocalist for this band before starting her solo career. Though i must admit that the more reigned in vocals compared to her later solo work is more pleasant to listen to. Favorite tracks: - Motorcrash - Blue Eyed Pop Least favorite tracks: - Traitor - Mama - Take Some Petrol Baby 3.0/5.0

Fun album, my enjoyment is definitely carried by Bjork's vocals. Im definitely coming around on her 3/5

3.5/5

It was good. Birthday is a three star song. The rest of the album is forgettable. I am interested in Björk’s solo career now though.

This was good but I wasn’t really in the mood for it

No nie wiem, dobrze się słuchało, ciekawa interpretacja: „Bjork jednak wybrała rocka zamiast oniryzmu”. Ale chyba nie wrócę do tej płyty szybko.

This was cool and really weird. I kind of felt like it was similar to The Cranberries at first. Punk influenced Alt Rock, but then by the end it started to feel more post-punk like Talking Heads. Either way, really cool. Not entirely sure why its on the list, but I enjoyed it. I'm glad I heard this rad Icelandic band today.

Malo mi se više dopada od same Bjork.

In the early 90s in Providence, RI, there was a band called They Might Be 10 000 Mighty Lemon Cubes. The 'Cubes' was for this band.

During the release of Bjork's first 3 solo albums, she was one of my top 3 favourite artists. I bought this and other Sugar cubes CDs but could never get into them. I just don't find the songs to be well written, interesting or memorable. 2.5 stars, rounding up for Bjork.

Icelandic electronic pop rock from the 80s. Favorite track: Birthday other picks: traitor, coldsweat

6/10

I really liked this album, it is definitely the platform that started Bjork on her trajectory. You can already start to hear some of her trade mark Bjorkisms. I do have a soft spot for Bjork and this doesn’t disappoint.

Had never heard of the Sugarcubes before listening. When the first song came on, I was like “Ha, that sounds like Bjork”. Then the second song, it was little weird that it also sounded like Bjork. A quick google meant everything made a lot more sense thereafter

I wasnt sure what to expect but I was more than pleasantly surprised. Some brilliant instrumental, some great guitar and drumming. Bjorks voice doesnt really do it for me but it wasnt the "Icelandic Yoko Ono" I I was expecting. Reminded me of Lena Lovitch in places. All in all not bad at all.

Raw and free. That's the impression this album left on me. A fun experimental piece which honestly got some character.

Some alright Icelandic jangly pop music. The probably the most note-worthy thing about this is it features Bjork - before her solo career. It has these very weird and eccentric lyrics all over the joint, probably my favourite is a line in "Deus" where (paraphrasing) she states that Deus doesn't exist, but if he doesssss... he would like to touch Bjork. So weird, I love it. Einar's vocals serves as a strong contrast to Bjork in that it seems he provides narrator-like spoken word, in the off moments where Bjork is letting out her trademarked belting vocals. I think I'd only return to this one if I was in re-listening to some jangle pop/new wave that I think needs reassessing. It's still fine, but nothing noteworthy other than an early appearance from Bjork. Highlight Song/s: "Birthday", "Coldsweat" and "Deus"

Man I wanted to love this record. Bjork’s unique voice goes so well with the dream pop inspired guitars. But the second half is butchered by the annoying vocal passages and god-awful singing by Einar Örn Benediktsson. No wonder why Bjork went solo after hearing the weird shit this guy wanted to adlib.

No matter what form it comes in, we yearn for Bjork content. There might be a few entries in this list that are just pictures of Bjork. When Bjork isn't the album of the day, users should be asking "Where's Bjork?" This might be one of the coolest Bjork variants though. Talking Heads influenced 80's rock featuring HEAVY Icelandic accents? I just pulled the Sugarcubes B-Jork, losers. I'm about to sell this on eBay and retire. Listen, she's tired of old toys, and now she needs NEW toys. That 1999 Jakks Pacific Taka Michinoku isn't going to cut it anymore. wait, why NOT?? Send that shit to me. Jesus, Bjork you have a problem. What's next, "oh, I don't want this Gene Snitsky action figure." What is wrong with you?? Aren't you a fat, white guy approaching middle age and collecting childhood items? Thinking about the circle of endless time? The budding and extinguishing of lives around the clock? Dust in the wind? Wind that whirls faster the longer you feel it? Wrestling with your own mortal soul? 3.5 HIGHLIGHTS: They have music in Iceland?

Its kinda fun and different, not that long. Bjork is an artist...weird but I enjoy it

I like Bjork. I can't say that I'm a big fan, as I had no idea she had a band before her solo stuff. So, with this discovery, it's pretty good. Just a nice little late-'80's rock album. I'm here for it.

This band has kind of a fun story, and if you get a chance to watch the videos from this album, you'll see a cute little baby Bjork singing her heart out! Musically, not really my cup of brennivín, though.

Life before Bjork was Bjork. It's interesting to hear what she was up to before becoming a solo artist but should it be on this list..? Nope.

Say what you will, but Bjork never broke up the Beatles. Pity about the Sugarcubes though. This album is way better than any of her solo efforts.

Pretty good actually

Unique and outside the box a bit. It was ok

I've always been a fan on Bjork's voice, although most or her solo work is a bit weird and surreal for me. I did not love this album, but I must admit I quite enjoyed it in places.

Fine!

I enjoyed it overall, i like the energy, but i don't know if i'd ever relisten to it on any given day. Hasn't left a mark on me like Bjork's solo work has done before. I think some of them shine much brighter.

"Man, why does the lead singer of this 80s alt-rock band sound exactly like Bjork?" <15 minutes later> "Ohhh, it *is* Bjork. Huh."

Ah, Bjork before her solo career. She's still there, of course, but I like how it's not all about Bjork, sort of an Icelandic version of The B-52's, I suppose, but a decade too late, and no "Rock lobster" to catapult them to eternal fame, although this album definitely put them on the music scene, especially in the UK. It's actually really nice to get this album *after* all the (5) solo Bjork albums, to clear out all of the seemingly serious and self-important and artistic wanderings and get a more playful and interesting sound. I didn't really have any favorites on the album, and was a bit disappointed that the various singles videos weren't nearly as interesting as her later solo work videos, but I *was* impressed at how much better the Jesus and Mary Chain remix of "Birthday" was ("Birthday (the Christmas mix"); somehow the combination of these two somewhat flawed bands created a masterpiece.

despite secret bjork, enough to like here to earn a 3

Sometimes a bit too screechy, but overall a good time.

You learn something new everyday. I never knew that Bjork was in a band called the Sugarcubes, and they played a unique style of new wave drenched punk rock. It’s pretty good if you can get on board with Bjork vocals. She’s never bothered me with pure vocals so it’s all good there. Bjork can get really weird on her later solo stuff but she keeps it fairly contained here. So, the result is an enjoyable if average alt/punk experience.

The album that introduced Bjork to the world, on the whole not too bad, inventive and humorous.

Okayy

Альбом в якому Bjork на вокалі до того, як вона почала сольну кар'єру. З першого треку звучить олд скульно і зразу впізнається її вокал. Бленд new wave і Bjork - не погано.

The second listen was muche better than the first one ! Her voice can get quite annoying after a while but its still better than her solo albums (so far).

Didn't blow me away but i'd be happy to listen to it again. Pretty accessible.

Heard Before? Yup, although I was very late to the party. Notes: - i really hate the production. trebly, too much reverb, the drums sound like garbage and the mix is inconsistent. some cool synth parts, but the eq is awful. - lyrics are not great - too many clunkers. they should have stuck with icelandic. maybe that's why "Cat" is my favorite song. - multiple vocalists is exciting, although this guy is, at best, a foil for Bjork. - not a lot of hooks, but some nifty song structures. - mixed differently i could potentially really enjoy this. then again, there is so much similar sounding post punk from this era that i like better. you should try Ekaterina Velika. Verdict: "hey did you know Bjork was in a post punk-band?" Listen Again? Won't avoid, won't seek out.

Great listen! The sound is so cool and with her vocals turns it so good!

Woaaahhhhhhhh

I liked Bjork in this! Sounded like a B52s + No Doubt cover band?

quite silly. better than any solo bjork

I can appreciate it but it's not an easy listen

Rating:★★★ Some good moments, some weird stuff, but who doesn’t like some weird stuff sometimes. This isn’t one of those times for me. Ok though.

I loved Birthday but had never listened to anything else. Pleasantly surprised.

I'd like to have dated Björk in the 80s. Bit quirky. Batty as a box of frogs. But I bet she was a wildcat in the sack. Ok maybe a bit too arty for me, so perhaps just a couple of months. This album is made in the Björk image. The only downside are the talky bits dotted throughout which I found totally annoying.

Sinceramente no le pude dar tanta bola, no me parecio malo. Deberia de explayarme mas escuchando este genero y esta banda. Voy a darle un 3 que en realidad por lo escuche seria 2. Nada mas para agregar.

I listened to it 2-3 times but I can't remember much of it besides the opening and Birthday, as well as the fact that Bjork's singing is obviously great but the spoken-word parts of that guy are fucking annoying . Clearly not such a memorable album.

Ah I really like this. A right mesh of styles and a crossover of the 80's and 90's in sound. Couple of great tracks and Bjork is a star.

Bjork had a band before she was Bjork. And the only thing that stood out to me was that she doesn't really need them. They didn't add much to her sound excepting live instruments over samples and synths. So it's a different Bjork, but not a better Bjork. Birthday

En osaa päättää et tykkäsinkö vai en. Jossain kohdin oon et hetkonen, täähän on todella hyvää musaa mut toisaalla sit lopettamassa koko albumin kuuntelua. Björk oli entuudestaan tuttu, joten oli suht korkealla odotukset tälle.

Ah, the pilot episode of the Björkiverse. Honestly really cool, I see why this caught the attention of the press and launched her into the spotlight. I get it's a little satirical but she does sound genuinely good over these pop-punk beats. Not likely to return to this, but glad to have checked it out.

Fun but not my thing

Interesting sound with the female and male death metal vocals. Can't say I dig it though.

sadly, those jokes about how Björk sings, are a bit too real to me. I don't think she's a bad singer or artist, her career is a testimony to that. But, as i said with other artists, it depends a lot on your mood and preferences. And here, i must say that i don't like how she sings, even if the music is interesting.

Very 80s

Wanted to like it more, might regret not rating higher

A good album, I liked Traitors the most.

Bjork is easily in my top ten favorite artists of all time, so why is it that I can't get into The Sugarcubes? It might be because, in her solo work, Bjork's singing voice has never been the main draw for me. I love her for her experimental electronic music. Her true voice is in her inimitable approach to musical composition and the way she constantly pushes the boundaries of what pop music can sound like. And I don't hear any of that on this record. Instead, what we have here is an okay late-80s band with elements of New Wave and Post-Punk. What they were doing doesn't sound particularly innovative or interesting, as scores of other bands had been doing this kind of thing for much of the decade. Bjork's vocals alone are not enough to make this stand out from the crowd.

This was 100% new to me - many Bjork vibes. Nice.

achei interessante esse album, 3.7 estrelas

First thought was that I never fancied solo stuff from Björk... too hyped. I have never listened to Sugarcubes and this means that my only expectation was slight dislike based on Björks solo material. This really nice pop album that I will listen also again but I'm not sure what are reasonings why this is on 1001 list. I might just be low educated to figure out these reasonings but so what. Solid 3 star album

3,5 fun! I like Björk.

It rocks, but for some reason didn't really leave an impression. Very in one ear, out the other; even if without much friction. Bjork is an amazing singer though and you can hear some creative ideas here that might have influenced later alt rock- I'm specifically hearing some garage rock undertones which I like. Nonetheless, I think this probably wouldn't have been on this list if it weren't for Bjork's later superstardom.

Weird

3.5, sorry i docked half a point because i find bjork's vocal style extremely grating. in some ways this reminds me a bit of gang of four, with it being a bit out there and the big focus on drums/guitars. very great first three tracks too. i can see myself coming back to this at some point...

'Birthday' is one of my favorite songs of all time but I'd never heard this before because I thought it was going to be ... exactly like it was.

5/10 I thought it was pretty okay. Cool to hear Icelandic music, think that's a first for me

Islands svar på B-52's? Ingen hadde brydd seg om The Sugarcubes hvis det ikke hadde vært for at Björk synger. Svak 3'er.

Ganske bra, og Björks unike stemme løfter mange låter.

just weird 80's pop. Its cool to hear something out of Iceland though. I still think Bjork is just the worst, but you know she sounds more palatable here than anywhere else I've heard. They've got a distinct enough sound, but it gets to be a bit samey the longer you listen, and again, Bjork's vocals tend to grate as the runtime continues. Not bad, it held my attention through, and I it was even a little fun to hear what was coming next.

A decent ladies rock album

This was fun, but I feel like the vocal performance is carrying the fuck out of this album. I love the crazy 80s production and the instrumentation and stuff but the songwriting is not super memorable. I don’t think I’d ever choose to listen to this over a classic Bjork album. It’s also a little bloated.

Ok McKay

Good and weird, liked most of it while.not being wowed by originality, particulary in the lyrics

Enjoyed this one. Didn't pull me in all the way, but had my attention through the whole album.

Omg, it's Bjork!

Not really a fan of Björks solo work, but this one was quite ok.

I didn’t realize Bjork was in a band. She’s got such a good voice. This was a piece that was rather otherworldly in terms of culture. Good pop music. Not sure if I can revisit this if I’m not listening to a “best of bjork” playlist.

I was not previously familiar with the artist or the album. Bjork was in this band before her solo career. This is a pretty decent rock album, and her vocals work surprisingly well. I'm not sure whether this album would make this list without Bjork's involvement given her solo career, but I can appreciate that I probably like this more than her solo material. I suppose I would listen to this again, but probably more for the novelty of Bjork's involvement than for its own merits.

I think the B-52s comparisons I have seen in a lot of reviews are apt. They sound very angular and not afraid to be discordant, while also willing to be poppier at times. This album is front loaded in that “Motorcrash” and “Birthday” are the obvious stand outs and "Delicious Demon" is also fairly strong. But despite the rest of the album dropping off some after those songs, I found it pretty decent throughout. I prefer Björk’s solo albums because I like the electronic aspects of those records more than the post-punk stylings of this one, but this was not bad. Worth having listened to.

I'm sure these guys don't massively appreciate being solely known as 'Bjork's former band', but that's totally where I'm coming at this from. As a general fan of hers, I'm glad that this project has got me listening to this. So this is fun! It's kind of weird and lively and I had a nice time with it.

Pretty cool

first listen super weird, also took me way too long to realize i was listening to Björk

Wow this is so different from björk’s individual work. It’s a lot less polished but still leaning a little experimental which I like. Björk’s voice is amazing as always and also I love the name of the band lol. Anyways this was def better than the average album but I think I subconsciously compared it to later work so it’s not that impressive to me. Very fun though! Fav songs: delicious demon, blue eyed pop, deus

68/100. It is very interesting hearing Björk in a punk band setting where her vocals are much more raw and energetic compared to her later work. For the most part this is a really good record that experiments a lot with different textures and unexpected arrangements. You can hear a lot of creativity in the way they blend jagged guitar riffs with quirky vocal interplay and a heavy bass presence.

The band itself was pretty good, but putting Bjork into anything is like putting bananas in a smoothie

Bjork is trying her hardest to ruin this album, but thankfully the rest of the band offset it.

Something like a goofy smiley version of the Cure, just not quite as musically outstanding

It was fine, couldn't tell you a single standout track but didn't wanna rip my ears off either so a standard 3 star entry.

bjork before bjork was bjork but tbh not my thing

it is at this time that i must confess that i said, out loud in my classroom by myself, "this sounds like bjork" because i did not know that bjork was in this band until i clicked on the wikipedia entry on the review page suddenly it all makes sense this is a good album and i quite liked it and i'm sorry to any music snobs who think i should have known bjork fronted this band please forgive me

Motorcrash is so good. I love the Bjork parts and love the non Bjork parts less.

Ok, quite pleasently surprised with young Bjork's band. This is pretty cool post punkish record, some b-52, some talking heads influences for sure with interesting delivery of Bjork. At least 3 strong stars for sure.

They sounded like REM and Sinead O'Connor joined together. But turns out it was Bjork, which is interesting because I feel like her sound on her own is so different and I would actually enjoy her more if she pulled this sound. Overall it was very late 80's/early 90's. It wasn't amazing or different but it fit in great with that time frame and musical expression of the era.

in a bathtub and made me squeaky clean_ Upbeat pop Björk. The very definition of oxymoron. Whilst it's clearly better for her creative process when she hates life, there's still much to be enjoyed here. The impressive vocal range and forced gargle technique is there, namely on 'Birthday'; as well as showing off her unique vocal, the album hammers home how good of a singer she really is, with an amazing vocal range. A source of potential annoyance is the other fella's clown-like mumblings, especially on something like the otherwise excellent 'Delicious Demon' where his lines fall flat - and Björk singing the same lines are wondrous. Chorused guitar, alternative indie meets college-radio, pop melodies, and bonkers Nordic lyrics. It sounds great on paper, and most of it was interesting. Yet it's missing a certain durability and emotional gut-punch that Björk's solo stuff brings. A very high three.

It was alright

Vocally speaking Björk is doing more thant its part, the rest of the album is meh. Favorite songs: Birthday

So Bjork was in this band. Good to know.

I wasn't really into this. Icelandic pop is a unique flavor that I've never acquired. Not terrible, nothing stuck out.

Nothing special

Sick for toys slaps

Non mi ha davvero entusiasmato Mi è aggradata la voce di lei. Lo salva dalle 2 stelle

Thank you for bjork

This album was really fun and had a lot of energy. It felt like the B-52’s mixed with the cranberries.

This was new to me, apart from Birthday. Good fun - Coldsweat and Blue Eyed Pop were highlights

Towards the top of the 3s. Really enjoyed this

Lovely album, making a note to return to this one.

Birthday is an exceptional song. While I love Bjork, I have never really enjoyed the Sugarcubes. They got that Talking Heads vibe but it just falls short. Rounding up from a 2.5.

Surprised that I liked it. Not a Bjork fan, but this had a few songs I dug.

Surprised that I liked it. Not a Bjork fan, but the music was decent and had a few songs I dug.

This was the first time I heard Björk and wow what a voice! Hearing that voice on top of such fun sounding music makes for a good listen. The music is just quirky enough to keep things rolling in an interesting way. Not sure if this would ultimately be essential listening but it is great to hear where Björk came from so it should be heard by anyone interested in her voice.

Björkin paras levy

great

Extremely disorienting but I think I kinda dig it.

I do like this better than most of Bjork’s solo stuff, but I don’t think that moves the needle too much.

Okay this steadily grew on me throughout. Really fun record. Favourite track was probably Blue Eyed Pop. Accidentally listened to an additional track, Cowboy, sung by one of the dudes in the band it was pretty awesome 3.5

Björk elevates some songs with her incredible singing, but when the dude is mumbling over the top of it all, it devolves to the Icelandic b-52's. Shit but with a different accent.

It's fun. Björk's style of singing doesn't always work for me but she's on fire here.

An easy 3, the others were holding Björk back. Birthday is a banger and showcases what the future holds

very good album

another installation of nice but a bit over the top, still lovely, icelanding weirdo music

Bjork carries

Not a bad debut from The Sugarcubes, I remember them (although couldn’t name a single song) from the eighties - kinda Cyndi Lauper-esque. Bjork is skreachy, she went on to be a bigger solo artist than the band. Best song is Blue Eyed Pop, which makes sense since they’re the first (and only) Icelandic alt pop group to make it to the US shores. Life’s Too Good comes in at (3.2*) Life’s both sweet and sour…

Bjork is another artist whose career and eccentric weirdness related to her music has eclipsed anything she has actually recorded and released for me. While I've been aware of Bjork for 20+ years within pop culture I'm not sure I've ever heard anything from her outside of soundbites and ridiculous impressions outlining her weirdness and quirkiness. I figured she came from an indie band at some point but never would have known it was The Sugarcubes. I definitely get why this made a splash when it released because it does contain a couple decent songs. I agree with the critics in that there something about its unorthodox nature that gives it some appeal. However, the weird quirkiness can only get you so far if you aren't able to back it up with consistency. As decent as some of this is on Life's Too Good, you can definitely get a glimpse how some of the success could lead this to unravel into insane eccentric bullshit just for the sake of being different. I don't know much about Bjork's future music career, but I have been made aware of random clips of her shrieking, cackling and all sorts weird musically-tangential bologna in crazy outfits that lead me to believe I wouldn't be able to stomach her work in anything other than small doses and jokes. As it is, Life's Too Goode is pretty interesting. Parts of the album prove they are capable. I enjoyed the songs that featured both Bjork and Einer alternating the vocals. The music structure was fun and diverse for the most part. However it does feature some of the weirdness and eccentricity that can easily spiral out of control if not handled tactfully. Life's Too Good is a mixed bag, a decent one at that, and I'm glad I had a reason to listen to it even I can't see myself becoming a longtime fan of Sugarcubes and/or Bjork. With some good management they probably could have been reeled in as a successful alt-pop band I may have enjoyed on the sides but they will mostly remain a forgotten overlooked act beyond this listen for me. 2.61 stars

Ok,

Decent/a little hit and miss. Flirted with a 4. Never in danger of a 2. 6/10 seems fair.

Idiosyncratic

It's fun but I'm not sure I'd call it a great album. Feels experimental without being truly radical.

More accessible than Bjork's solo stuff but maybe not as catchy?!?

"Oh my god and Jesus as well" Not as good as Bjork's solo work, but still a very fun album that foreshadows a promising career from this Icelandic freak. Favorite song: Deus 3.5/5

Great debut from Icelandic pioneers

"motorcrash" is incredibly goofy but that's fr how it feels to be a cyclist. welcome bjork to the war on cars. anyway, i've actually listened to very little bjork somehow, but she's the standout here to me. she's just fun to listen to. even in the tracks like "birthday" which lyrically are !?!?!?, her range and flair are really enjoyable. the other guy's vocals? no offense to him but the comparison is not favorable to him. musically this feels pretty standard late 80s alt rock with a bit of an abrasive edge that works well for bjork's voice, so even if this album wasn't even meant to be a major artistic statement from the band, i think it holds up alright. enjoyable, if uneven. key takeaway is that i guess i need to listen to bjork more.

It's definitely not as good as her solo work, but that's not to say its not good at all. Bjork on a less experimental album sounds downright odd, but it works. That's not to say this album is devoid of interesting sounds or being out there, "sick for Toys" for instance sounds pretty unique to me. The lyrics are... mostly weak, but beautifully sung as expected. The B-52s comparison everyone mentions in the reviews is very apt, but I do feel like there's a slightly harsher tone from the post-punk inspiration that differentiates them. I really liked the opening song "Traitor" as well as "birthday", but a lot of this album kinda just washed over me. Especially because I am not really a fan of the second singer and think they detract from a few songs.

3.5

This album answers the timeless and important musical question “what if Bjork had been a member of the B-52s?”

"That sounds an awful lot like Björk...?". It was. Interesting to hear her in a different setting than I'm used to. More indie and rock than whatever the type of music she makes would be labeled as. Speaking of which, Björk and her singing is clearly the rockstar of this album. The album sounds quite 80s at times, but her voice feels timeless. Neither a fan nor hater of her usually, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed that part here. The least enjoyable parts was when some of the dudes did the main vocals as some sort of spoke word act, as in 'Sick For Toys', and 'Delicious Demon'. I enjoyed this record overall and found a new appreciation for Björk. The songs were varied and interesting. Definitely worth a spot on the list in my opinion. A 4 feels a bit generous, so strong 3 will have to do.

What stood out to me the most was the ugly album art and the female vocals. I realised later that it was Björk singing. I’m not the biggest fan of Björk, but her vocals were really cool. The same, sadly, can’t be said for the male lead. At times, it felt like listening to The Pixies. “Toys in the Attic” especially reminded me of “Debaser.” Pretty cool album. Mid 3.

Buen sonido, voz impecable (obvio). Aceptable, recomendado

Like others have said, the Sugarcubes are very much in the same vein as the B-52s. It’s interesting hearing Bjork in this context as this music is less experimental than her solo work, though it still has an edge. Overall a very good post-punk album. 3.5⭐️

3-4 but I probably won’t listen again

Solid

Preferred Bjork’s solo work afterwards. Decent but nothing grabbed me for a second listen

In like Bork. This gets a 3 ✨

Bjork's voice is incredible. The album has great energy. It oddly reminds me a bit of the B52's. But the lyrics, overall aren't that interesting. Take, for example "sick for toys" --it has a kind of punk styling but the core lyrics just come across as flat--no politics, no angst. Flat. A good album to have the list. It has some solid moments.

An interesting listen. Some of these tracks are quite fun, especially on the first half. And Bjork’s vocals on this are amazing at times. Let down by a few tracks that don’t hold up as well, but I enjoyed this.

3.5

I really have a mixed review on this album. I really like the Björk songs, but most of the Einar songs didn't do much for me. Highlights are "Birthday" & "Cold Sweat" (7.62) ★★★½

Not too high on this. "Birthday" is pretty cool, and "Mama" and "Deus" are solid tunes, but overall, I a lot of the syles here don't really work for me. And while Bjork is a talented singer, the other guy sounds like Mike Myers' Dieter from the Sprockets SNL sketch. Light 3 stars.

3.5

If I was Dougal from The Magic Roundabout then I should be all over this album because it is well known that Dougal The Dog cannot resist a good sugarcube or two. Unfortunately there is just a high touch of rancidity to this particular sugarlump batch. Bjork who is pre-mega breakthrough solo career here is already a bit of a growly goddess of rock/indie/altpop/whatever, certainly worth snuffling some extra sugar from but there is another lead vocalist here who is really rotten and seems to have his own mission to turn the group into the crappest version of the B-52s. I’ve heard of being a Ringo or a Bez or indeed even a Fred Schneider but I certainly never want to be an Einar of any group. Fortunately there are enough cool songs anyway despite his presence and the album is only 33 minutes so it’s short and sweet as well as skank.

I like Bjork but never bothered listening to her earlier stuff with the Sugarcubes. So a welcome reminder to do so. Bit underwhelming to be honest. Music of its time and for the late 80’s a lot different to what was about then. May have appreciated more then but missed it. Not missing it now though. It’s Bjork though so that escapes it getting lower star rating. 3/5 12/2/26

very interesting album in bjorks discography

This album is quite a trip, every song gave a different vibe. But much enjoyed! Saved one song, might come back to this album.

A little weird, but overall not too bad

super weird kind of new wave band, kind of alt rocky. Interesting hearing bjork with this kind of instrumentation

Björk twice in one week is not what I asked for, but it’s not unwelcome. There are peeks at what her solo sound would be, but it’s twinged with a taste of B-52s, Icelandic style.

Here's an interesting one. The Sugarcubes were a decently successful alt-rock band to come out of Iceland in the late 80s. Of course, the success that the Sugarcubes experienced pales in comparison to the later success that its lead vocalist would experience starting in the 90s. What was her name again? Bjonk or something like that? For real though, it is super neat to hear what Björk was doing prior to the release of Debut. Was she doing good things? Yeah, I'd say so. Not as great as some of the albums that would come during her solo career, obviously, but still quite good. It's definitely a different vibe, with Life's Too Good being a straight-up alt-rock album as opposed to the experimental pop of Björk's solo albums. Of course, Björk's vocals are just as great as ever. I don't think that's a surprise. But what about the rest of the Sugarcubes? They exist too, you know? They're good! The instrumental parts are mostly cool. It has this sort of dream-pop/post-punk thing going on and it's neat. There is also a second vocalist, Einar Örn Benediktsson. I don't like his vocals as much as Björk's vocals, I'm sorry. The songs are kinda weird, but in a good way. "Birthday" is the album's biggest hit, and it is not the kind of song you'd think would be a hit. It's a little creepy even, especially in the lyrical department. Oh yeah, the writing is alright too. I don't think anything in this album is perfect (other than Björk's vocals probably), but nothing's bad either. It's an interesting listen that I respect, but I also don't really love it as much as maybe I would've wanted to. It's got some good parts though. High 3/5.

The Bjorkiest band that ever Bjorked

This album can't be rated, at least by me. Did I enjoy listening to it? No, not really. Do I think it's interesting? Yeah, I do. Will I listen to it again? Probably not. Did I pull out any tracks for playlists? Yeah, but it's my bday songs playlist. So I guess 3 stars. I did have the thought "Oh that sounds like Bjork." And then I read up on and felt accomplished but a little silly.

It’s definitely proto Bjork, and it’s interesting to hear her first works before she got big. I wouldn’t say it’s that great of a listen for the majority of it but I did like “Traitor” and “Mama” in general I found it a bit too goofy to take seriously, particularly the male singer’s contributions. I think the majority of the songs in a major key sounded a bit ridiculous but thats just my taste.

Bjork's band - interesting but only ok. 3 out-of 5 stars.

The Sugarcubes brand of alt rock looks to 80's post-punk, as well as the brighter, poppier tendencies of alt rock that would come to definition the 90's. Every song Bjork is the lead vocalist on is elevated by her presence. I understand entirely why she went solo. Highlights: "Birthday"

Olihan tää ihan mukiin menevää soitantaa ja laulantaa mutta ei kyllä neloseen yllä

Björkin omaleimainen laulanta on aina mielenkiintoista kuunneltavaa, mutta ei nämä biisit vielä ihan täysin kolahtanut.

Bring on the Bjork

I was fully expecting to hate this. Post punk with eye shattering album art. Conceptually, later on, it all kinda works. It's a satire, it's poking fun at the evolution of the genre at the moment, catching on to double standards and calling them out. It makes sense it'd present itself as an exaggeration of happy colors with stick figures sporting genitals. As someone who doesn't necessarily love the genres they're poking fun at, I ended up really enjoying this. I think they went beyond what radio had to offer, just a bit. Fun for an occasional listen, and I don't doubt some of the melodies will be showing up in my brain in the near future. It was fun listening to those early Björk vocals. 3.3/5

Better than expected by the horrible cover. 3 5

I’d never heard of The Sugarcubes before I started this project, but I’m very curious to see what this album is like. Björk’s solo albums were an incredibly mixed bag with me (a 2, a 3, a 4, and 5-star), so I really have no idea whether I’m going to love or hate this album. I do tend to enjoy post-punk music though, so here’s hoping this album turns out to be pretty sweet! Overall, I thought Life’s Too Good was fine. This album had a solid post-punk sound that reminded me a lot of The The. However, unlike The The, I didn’t think The Sugarcubes’ melodies were all that memorable. There might one element on a song that stood out, like the guitars or the synthesizers, but it was pretty rare that everything really came together to create something truly unique or special. The one thing that I consistently enjoyed on this album was Björk’s vocals, but unfortunately, I can’t say the same for Einar’s singing parts. I don’t know if he was intentionally going for the Fred Schneider sound, but his vocals just didn’t work for me. “Traitor,” “Birthday,” “Delicious Demon,” and “Deus” were my favorite songs on the album, mostly due to their guitar playing. Life’s Too Good was a fun album to experience one time, but I could take or leave this album.

Mal mi je nezapomljiv ampak drgac dobr

Pretty great actually. Would give it 3.5 stars if allowed, but not 4. I would absolutely listen to this record again, but probably wouldn’t seek it out. Still, it reminds me of an Icelandic version of The Pixies, and you can’t go wrong with that. Maybe I will listen to it again on purpose…

Just love it! Great band, but Bjork just takes it to a new level. She’s an amazing musician!

Bjork before she got into recording cat torture. Better than any of her solo albums but honestly it's generic 80s "College radio" fare. According to several write ups this wasn't meant to be taken all that seriously and if listened to with that mindset it's perfectly okay.

Talking Heads mixed with the B-52s, add Bjork. Pretty good listen really. I like this less than Bjork's first few solo albums, but like it more than her more experimental later solo records.

Oh yeah that’s some Bjork.

Mind blown - never heard Bjork outside her solo work. This was pretty wild, and not as bad as I expected for the most part. 3*

I love Björk's vocals.

“Is that…..is that Björk? Oh yeah, she was in a band before her solo stuff.”

It was fun to listen to Björk, not knowing to begin with that I was listening to Björk! I'm giving it 3 because I enjoy her solo album better.

“Life’s both sweet and sour!” I got an embarrassingly long way through this before I realised the lead singer was Björk. Once I did my instinct that I much preferred the female vocals to the male ones made total sense. The instrumentation is a little hit and miss at times but the songs I enjoyed were very fun. The less enjoyable parts were largely courtesy of the over the top vocal theatrics which is just a personal preference on my part and not necessarily a blanket indicator of quality. A mostly fun and interesting set of songs that made me intrigued to explore Björk’s solo catalogue.

gostei. me lembrou muito bjork aí eu pensei impossível uma coisa lembrar tanto a outra e não de fato SER. e era mesmo.

OK, so Bjork was firstly in a band huh....well there ya go! Perhaps it's the fact that Bjork is in a band rather than solo, but this feels somewhat more structured than I was expecting based on (only) hearing her solo stuff - don't get me wrong.....its absolutely still batshit crazy in parts though. The bloke who does the spoken-word stuff needs to hand over the mic and take a seat. I'd be happy to listen to the album in its entirety from time to time. 3.5 stars

oh bjork we’re really in it now

Ironic lyrics with serious voices. The female voice reminds me of Riot Grrrl

I never heard of this, or even was aware Bjork was with a band other than her solo career. It’s definitely different, and props for that. Not something I return to but it’s not terrible. 2.5/5

I can appreciate weird, odd, quirky, strange, and at times borderline bonkers. This album definitely fits all those descriptions and I remember it being passed around on campus. I even occasionally spun Birthday and Motorcrash on my program as a college DJ. But as unique as it was, I just never could quite get into these guys, nor take them too seriously. Which in the end, was the band’s goal apparently.

Surprised to find out I knew one of these songs (guess I always thought it was a Bjork tune). I liked this, definitely more than I thought I would. Not sure I’d rush back, but not bad

Man, love it or hate it, there is something really interesting about Bjork’s voice and approach. She’s hit or miss for me but I actually really liked it with this accompaniment. With that said, I could very much do without the B-52s sounding dude. I guess that takes it to the goofy, joke realm. Still a good 3 for me.

Favorite Track: Motorcrash

Reminded me of the band that sings love shack

Cool to learn that Björk was in a band before her solo career.

not really my style

2.526

Weird

++: Motorcrash, Delicious Demon, Blue Eyed Pop, Fucking in Rhythm & Sorrow +: Traitor, Birthday, Mama, Sick for Toys, Take Some Petrol Darling +-: Coldsweat, Deus 6,3/10

Björk's vocal is instantly recognisable and shines through the mix, despite all the other high-pitched noises. The percussionist in particular is clearly a fan of high frequencies. Crash and cymbal are used a lot. Combine that with lots of high synths and clear, airy vocals and you have a distinctly "Iceland" feel. Seriously – there are very few famous Icelandic artists from the 20th century (the Sugarcubes are one of about four) and they all share this distinctive, clear, icy (ha) sound. The vocals hit their peak with the very strong trio Birthday / Delicious Demon / Mama, though Delicious Demon is also one of several songs to feature those weird, hesitant, melody-less male vocals. I'm not a fan of them. They're most prominent in the opener, Traitor, making it one of the album's weakest links. Gorgeous self-harmonising in Blue Eyed Pop, leading into the second peak of the album with the surprisingly groovy Deus. Reminds me a bit of if the Talking Heads had a (very) different singer. F***ing in Rhythm and Sorrow is the last particularly good track, but it's only good because it's weird as heck. It's like a Björk cover of the Marble Blast Gold (2003) soundtrack. The lyrics are about as goofy as you'd expect from a young post-punk-era band. "An awful motorcrash / Dangerous motorcrash / Terribly bloody motorcrash / Destructive motorcrash / Oh oh oh" "I'm walking humbly down a tiny street / Pulling my collar, it gets bigger, woo" "Naked man, naked man calm down / I'll give you some strawberry cake" "One plays the harp, beats a rock with a stick / Becomes a priest at least, a delicious demon / Least, a delicious demon / Hee-haw, hee-haw" (These aren't cherry-picked songs. I picked four at random.) 3/5 Key tracks: Motorcrash, Cold Sweat, Deus

The first half of this album is good, with standout tracks such as Birthday and Mama (which is just breathtaking). The latter half tests my patience quite a bit, as none of the songs are remarkable in any other way than Bjork having a great voice. Okay new wave album but I’ll just listen to a couple select tracks

I’ve loved discovering more Bjork stuff through this generator, this album was interesting to understand where the music started but not really essential IMO

Yea, it's fine. Was listening to this on and off over the holiday break and nothing really stuck with me. I don't mind Bjork, but I probably didn't need to hear this.

Bjork is certainly the beating heart of this band.

Meh

Ok stuff, not bad