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Mathew Scott

The Sugarcubes
Life's Too Good
(Elektra)
It seems hard to believe  that 20 years have passed since  Bjork Guomundsdottir  introduced people outside her native Iceland into her weird and wonderful world thanks to The Sugarcubes' debut.
Of course, there was always more than Bjork to the band - its four other members had, between them, been part of just about every post-punk outfit to make a wave in their home country and beyond. And one of them - guitarist  Thor Eldon - was at the time of this release already an established talent in his own right - and  the singer's husband.
But you could never escape the draw of the diminutive woman warbling into the microphone.
Bjork had been in bands since she was 11 and,  by the time The Sugarcubes came around, had created a stunning stage persona.
Seen live, she's never forgotten - as those preparing for her  February 28 solo show here are soon to  discover.
Mixing elements of punk, pop and electronica with more than a touch of madness, Life's Too Good captured the world's collective heart.  There is  still a freshness to the music, an almost childlike joy, even when the band tackles  macabre matters.
Birthday was the first hit single, which features Bjork's unique vocal style laid over infectious pop. Sometimes it's clear what she's on about, sometimes you won't have a clue. But she's an irresistible force when given full voice.
But while Birthday was all sweetness and light - one woman wooing her mate into a night of drunken debauchery - the album's standout is the bizarre Motorcrash.
In its way, the track points the way to Bjork's future with its worrying subject matter and wailed words. Sung in a back-and-forth style between Bjork and bandmate  Einar  Benediktsson, the track is centred around a woman obsessed with roadkill.
The lyrics are unnerving if you think too much about  them, but  they're tackled in such a breezy manner as to leave your toes tapping.
With attention focusing on their lead singer as she became a press and fan favourite, the band was eventually undone by internal disputes.
But Life's Too Good stands as a brilliant testimony to a brief time when their stars were all aligned. Live, they were sensational.
And you get a feel for what that's all about on Life's Too Good. The Sugarcubes, sadly, never got better. But for Bjork,  it was just the beginning.



From the vault: 1988