Labrador announces new signing for 2011: Det Vackra Livet

Instantly recognisable to those familiar with Labrador’s own 80s revivalists The Mary Onettes, Det Vackra Livet is a project brought to us by brothers Philip and Henrik Ekström of the band. The story goes that, in the fall of 2010, Philip contacted Labrador owner / Acid House King / Pallers man / dude from The Legends / unofficial king of Sweden – Johan Angergård – to talk about a handful of songs he’d written entirely in Swedish. Intrigued, Angergård didn’t have time to blink when two weeks later the entire finished album was delivered. That’s one way of using your time creatively throughout the cold Swedish winter.

So what do Det Vackra Livet (translates: The Beautiful Life) actually sound like? Well, truth be told – The Mary Onettes, but that’s mainly down to Philip’s mournful croon. The music is more uplifting than the ‘Onettes output – relying moreso on the use of drum machines and textures than the orchestral Cure-like flourishes that the band are known for.

See for yourselves below. The self-titled album drops via Labrador on May 5. The single ‘Viljan’ (which I *think* translates to ‘Wanting’) drops on February 2.

Det Vackra Livet: ‘Viljan’