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Jens Lekman Pours Sunshine Over Shout Out Louds’ Moody ’14th of July’

jens lekman, shout out louds 14th of july, optica

Before Jens Lekman released 2012’s underrated I Know What Love Isn’t, the Swedish crooner’s output favored samples over live instrumentation. Now the perennially heartbroken tunesmith has returned to his chopped-pop roots for a remix of “14th of July” by fellow Swedes Shout Out Louds. The original track — featured on the five-piece’s recent Optica LP — feeds off of a driving nu-disco groove that’s spliced with post-punk gloom. Lekman’s version slows the rhythm to a leisurely pace, drops in crisp vocal snaps, and basks in its nü-tropical climate. Suddenly, the line “Take me down to the fireworks / And show me how the fire works,” is paired with a playful wink instead of a leer.