On their sophomore album, the Norwegian duo presents a metropolis that is both exhilarating and apathetic, thriving on contradictions, campy spectacles, and stark realities.
With a discerning eye and raised eyebrow, ‘Big City Life’ explores the rhythms and rituals of urban women. It unfolds like a vibrant postmodern fairytale, guiding us through dimly lit clubs, vacant train cars, expansive streets, and longing-filled bedrooms. In the city crafted by the Norwegian duo Smerz, playful tunes coexist with hazy confessions, reflecting the complexity and shadows of this world through a diverse array of styles woven into the album.
For Catharina Stoltenberg and Henriette Motzfeldt, the city is a mix of excitement and indifference, where the ordinary is transformed with theatrical flair. The title track begins like an avant-garde ’80s musical, with a series of social pleasantries delivered so deliciously deadpan that they feel foreboding: repeated phrases such as “I heard that they broke up ha ha ha.” This sharp satire is vividly present in ‘Close,’ which simmers with tension while examining personal choices. Even in the album's cheeky and fabulous ‘Feisty,’ the themes of empowerment and isolation are inseparable. The cabaret drama is intertwined with piercing electronic beats and synthesized wails. The humorously chaotic line, “It’s crowded at the toilet, I check my makeup and my bum,” is contrasted by a rushed admission at the end—“Either way, I feel confused and alone.” Loneliness prevails even, or perhaps especially, in the club environment.
Throughout the album, there is a palpable yearning for something genuine, a desire to experience more than just indifference. On ‘Street Style,’ they express, “I want something huge to hit me / Something out of time.” Themes of time and tangibility are prominent, with the abstract feeling more familiar than the concrete. This is particularly evident in the portrayal of love, which appears to be all-consuming yet surreal. The sultry track “You got time and I got money” features languid vocals gracefully overlaying rich strings, encapsulating the frantic passion of new love without holding back: “Put your hands around my body / Hold me tight and show it to me” is the request right from the start.
The album is infused with bold romance but avoids becoming overly sweet. Smerz's perspective on love is either laced with humor or laid bare. Their playful remarks are charming yet made during intimate moments, rendering them both revealing and protective. In one instance, they sing, “Baby, can I see you naked? / Even though I love how you dress,” and when vulnerability threatens to become overwhelming, humor offers relief amid the push and pull between desire and defense.
Clever flirting runs deep within the album, but on ‘Big Dreams,’ the façade slips momentarily. Over jagged keys and broken strings, the heartfelt plea emerges: “touch me and look me in the eye.” Sometimes, our greatest dreams are our simplest needs. The softer and distorted plea of “touch me” resurfaces in the stripped-back ‘Street Style,’ evoking a scene from Joachim Trier’s The Worst Person In The World, where time seems to freeze as the protagonist rushes through the streets to her barista lover.
The themes of uncertainty and fluid identity emerge through textual peculiarities and disorienting structures; ‘Dreams’ functions as a sonic hall of mirrors, with veiled voices dancing over shimmering electronic textures. It creates a sense of suspended intimacy, distilling the sensory overload of the current moment. The feeling of mourning for what hasn’t yet occurred is also articulated on ‘A Thousand Lies,’ a poignant, reflective ballad where they reveal, “I’m realizing lately / That I won’t feel like this again.”
‘Big City Life’ encapsulates the chaos and marvel of urban living with precision and energy. Seamlessly transitioning between the glamorous and the raw, the album celebrates contradictions, reveling in campy spectacle and unvarnished truths. Amidst this ambiguity, Smerz’s charm, vulnerability, and dry wit render this darkly captivating record a powerful reflection of cosmopolitan femininity.
8/10
Words: Sophia French
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With a scrutinizing stare and raised eyebrow, 'Big city life' charts the patterns and traditions of the urban woman. It presents a lively postmodern fairytale.