Songs (40th Anniversary Edition) vinyl

Founded in Nesodden, Norway, in 1980, Fra Lippo Lippi first gained widespread attention and acclaim with 1981's debut album, In Silence, which certainly paid respect to, if not borrowed from, Joy Division's pioneering post punk fare. A gem well worth unearthing, by the time Songs came along - four years later - the band had adopted a wholly poppier, but no less synth-y style which, oddly, actually worked against their chances of a label deal. In the end, this, their third album, was self-financed and released. More fool the industry machine, with critics, or at least some of them, hailing the record as one of the best pop works ever made in Norway. Listening back now, it's certainly potent. Sparse, thought-provokingly poetic, a brave and bold display of musicianship that would eventually lead to their signing to Virgin Records. What came after was also great, but it's here that we really understand why passion projects are the best examples of creative freedom.