Lenka's self-titled debut album is as contagious as the smile that spreads across your face after seeing your secret crush, and just as dreamy. Think of Lily Allen's upbeat sound, then twist your jaded hipster lyrics dial down to zero and you've got Lenka, a starry-eyed Australian who previously contributed breathy vocals to the band Decoder Ring. “Don't Let Me Fall,” has already appeared in the first episode of the new 90210, so Americans are sure to hear plenty of this plucky melody on radios across the country. Lenka's opening track “The Show” is also a sure-fire crowd pleaser, taking the Shakespearean declaration “all the world's a stage” to the streets, where all of life becomes a show in which the audience demands its money back—but in a good-humoured way, without any pushing or shoving.
Despite her occasionally dark subject matter, ranging from broken relationships in “Bring Me Down” to thoughts of mortality in “Live Like You're Dying,” Lenka's optimistic tone never wavers. All of life's experiences are simply fuel to keep her creative fires burning, and rather than taking any of the bad days to heart or soaking in a bath of bitterness, she chirps out tunes to keep her spirits up. On “Skipalong” the secret to her success at fighting off blue moods is revealed in the lyrics “you're like a sugar bomb / and no harm will come if you just skip along.” Indeed, you might even be tempted to skip along to this little ditty yourself on days when storm clouds threaten. Some might wonder, at this point, if Lenka is anything more substantial than a sugar high, and the answer is yes. Though she may not be writing about serious subjects, her songs are seriously cheery, without ever melting over into the dreaded territory of schmaltz. If positivity is a crime in this world of hip irony and clever wordsmithing, then Lenka has surely absconded with my heart.
--Laura Roberts [October 5, 2008]
