The Sugarcubes – Life's Too Good

Life's Too Good, the 1988 debut from The Sugarcubes, is an exhilarating explosion of eccentric pop energy that announced the arrival of a singular voice: Björk. Blending jagged post-punk guitars, unpredictable rhythms, and surreal lyrics, the album feels both chaotic and irresistibly catchy. It’s a vivid portrait of late-80s alternative music pushed to its quirkiest extremes, and a reminder that pop can be subversive, strange, and joyful all at once.

What truly sets this record apart is the dynamic interplay between Björk’s unrestrained vocal acrobatics and Einar Örn’s spoken-word outbursts. It shouldn't work, but it does—giving the songs an anarchic charm. Tracks like “Birthday,” “Deus,” and “Motorcrash” still feel adventurous decades later, capturing the essence of a band that never took itself too seriously but created something seriously memorable.

Reviews

"Life's Too Good remains an indie staple." — Record Collector

"A blend of arty, skewed post-punk and straight new wave-ish pop, Life's Too Good sounds like nothing before it." — Jittery White Guy Music

"Life's Too Good is credited as the first Icelandic album 'of its breed' to have a worldwide impact." — Wikipedia

"The Sugarcubes’ comparably upbeat Life’s Too Good counteracted the often stringent seriousness of the alternative '80s." — The Line of Best Fit

"Life's Too Good still sounds exciting and exuberant, filled with creepy longing and that infectious silliness by turn." — Freq