LIJO: The Pleasures Of Self Deception

Dutch avant-pop singer LIJO dives into both the harsh and imagined realities of being in a relationship on her first full-length The Pleasures Of Self Deception. Feelings can be deceptive and the need to be taken seriously or loved or both can get in the way of staying true to yourself. The repetition of the pleading "I got my hands dirty for you" in Devils In Details says it all. Having one's hopes up against all odds often turns into a grueling experience, but finally facing the facts can be truly liberating - with the anthemic I Want Out serving as both an outcry for relief and a cathartic feeling of regained freedom.

Her knack of combining skewed rhythms with her impressive vocal range make The Pleasures Of Self Deception an album that unfolds gradually, showing its colours in a different light after each listen. Recommended if you like Kate Bush channeling PJ Harvey (or vice versa). She is Crazily Sane indeed in her descriptions of the things that people are trying to put up with, until they no longer don't.