In an interview on the cusp of Sucker Punch’s release, Sigrid mentioned it was so titled because each track is “very in your face.” How right she was. Keeping to the status quo of her Scandinavian heritage, the singer’s debut album is filled with the brim with nonstop bangers and bops; even in it’s quietest moments (“In Vain,” “Dynamite”), the singer supplies the listener with an anthemic chorus designed to get them on their feet. In an era where mid-tempo, downtrodden lyrics are dominating the charts, it’s refreshing to be delivered such a joyful collection of songs. It’s pop at its most sonically uninhibited, even when the subject matter can be heavy.
The title track opens the record, setting the stage for what the listeners are to expect on this twelve-song journey: bouncy synths, expressive vocals, and mature lyrics that prove Sigrid is a force to be reckoned with. Previously-released “Strangers” and “Never Mine” take on unrealistic expectations, while “Mine Right Now” and lead single “Don’t Kill My Vibe” investigate different facets of temporary interest. No matter what mood you’re in, Sucker Punch provides a complimentary track to it.
The most curious song here is “Business Dinners” — Sigrid takes aim at the exposure she must endure being in the music industry, a common trope — over a childlike, chanting production. “Level Up,” a pseudo-campfire song about growing from adversity, interrupts the breakneck pace of the album momentarily, before the sugar rush that is “Sight of You.” Closing track “Dynamite” is the most intimate the singer gets here, declaring “I don’t belong in your universe” to a lover over a beautiful piano melody; comparing herself to the titular explosive, she makes it clear that she and her partner aren’t good for each other. “I miss you, but I’ve got things to do,” sung in the song’s second verse, best summarizes the emotional experience Sucker Punch offers: Sigrid might have had her heart broken, but she knows it’s merely a pit stop in life, not the destination.
Rating: 8/10
Standout tracks: ‘Strangers,” “Don’t Feel Like Crying,” “In Vain,” “Dynamite”