2009 trivia time! What famous pop star died in 2009? If you it took you more than .0002 seconds to answer, you probably shouldn’t be reading this article. Actually, you’re probably not even alive. Healthcare, Afghanistan, the crumbling economy and subsequent recession...Sorry, but 2009 will not be remembered for these things. So, excuse me if I mention the King of Pop about a dozen times throughout the course of this review. Sliding in at tail-end of the year, Lindstrøm & Christabelle have produced a most fitting tribute to Michael Jackson’s best work. For a man who sadly made himself most famous many years, slip-ups, scandals, and embarrassments after his fabled heyday, L & C focus on the true gifts Jackson gave to his fans and the music world at large: that of ass-shakin’, toe-tappin’, fun-lovin’, and truly brilliant songsmanship.

One thing I think a lot of people have forgotten about the best work Jackson produced is that he didn’t produce it. Quincy Jones did. Now, there’s no questioning that the songwriting and delivery of Thriller is still without parallel (and shall remain so for quite some time). But it’s absolutely crucial to remember that without Jones’ skillful arranging of the various parts and pieces that make up the epic symphonies of pop that Jackson sang over, the album simply could not have held its own weight. Jones found a way to balance Jackson’s charismatic bravado by firing back on all cylinders with blasting horns, tight rhythm sections, and exuberant, sonorous layers.

It’s in the spirit of the fully-formed, lush dance tune that Lindstrøm takes his cue, filtering this sensibility through a 2009 vibe (if not forward-thinking, or even futuristically ahead of its time). By pairing with highly-skilled vocalist Christabelle, he has succeeded in the crafting of 2009’s finest pop album (the album was released last month in Europe)—even though it’s not exactly pop. And the most impressive thing about Lindstrøm’s effort here is that, unlike Jones, he doesn’t have the benefit of a studio’s worth of equipment, and an industry’s worth of musicians at his disposal. Real Life is No Cool ends a year shrouded in the loss of pop music’s most tragic star by paying tribute to the music behind the man, the real reason Michael Jackson was so great.

But Real Life is No Cool is an interesting, if somewhat puzzling, career move for Lindstrøm, who made his biggest splash to date with last year’s brilliant Where You Go I Go Too, a magnum opus of space disco meanderings with three sprawling tracks totaling almost an hour’s worth of unstoppable dance beats and hypnotic (even psychedelic) textures. It’s arguable that Lindstrøm thrives best in these more open modes (the pop song is admittedly a relatively “closed” form in and of itself), and what’s important here is that he doesn’t completely lose sight of his signature sound with Christabelle by his side. “Looking for What,” opens the album with Christabelle’s voice seismically splashing like waves against a coast of nothingness, all backwards, doubled and looped. It’s a full minute before she finally makes some intelligible sense as the beat slowly solidifies into that classic Morodor-like pulse. “What should we do? Should we start?” The questioning lyric suggests the two are treading on somewhat unfamiliar ground. The song lasts a full six minutes, which is a healthy-dose for anything with the “pop” tag on it.

The song ends with some ramshackle sampled ideas, as if the duo truly is searching for that quintessential “what,” before finding it, sliding quickly into the stomping-raver, “Lovesick.” It’s an immensely satisfying track with a throbbing forward motion, yet with a relaxed and slowly lurching beat. A word of caution: watch your head on this one. By no fault of your own, you may find it slamming uncontrollably into a nearby object (try not to listen to it in front of, say, a brick wall). Christabelle is at her flirtiest, most luscious, and absolute sexiest on this cut, snuggling her whisper right up against your ear—a tantalizing siren’s call to the dance floor.

If the ghost of Thriller haunts any one particular track, it’s “Baby Can’t Stop.” The stretchy bass line and supremely tight horn hits hammer down a hook so sharp it’s guaranteed to make Peter Pan pee his pants. Lindstrøm’s never had a track quite like it, which is dead solid proof that he, however near-perfect in the space-disco format, can throw down in the radio, club-ready ring with serious authority.

Overall, Christabelle, while solid, is not the album’s true draw, as Lindstrøm over-shines the vocals throughout the album. He sounds great with a vocalist, but this still feels more like a Lindstrøm album than it does a collaboration, especially when he recycles an old single, 2003’s “Music In My Mind,” which originally appeared on the It’s a Feedelity Affair singles collection. The addition of Christabelle’s vocals seems like an afterthought.

Though 2009 may go down in history with the stain of tragedy painted across the old man’s sash (out with the old...), the cold and final chapter of December brought the warmth of a fun, sweaty night out to the club with Real Life is No Cool. It’s a record to remind us why we love to dance and it stands tall and strong among the Lady Gagas of our generation, who toss dance music’s more important innovators in the waste basket. Lindstrøm’s take on the style is simultaneously old and new, as though looking back in time has opened a wonderful and exciting new door. With each subsequent release, Lindstrøm has miraculously improved and is ever-closer to leaving his mark permanently stamped in the history books.

Track List:
1. Looking For What
2. Lovesick
3. Let It Happen
4. Keep It Up
5. Music In My Mind
6. Baby Can't Stop
7. Let's Practise
8. So Much Fun
9. Never Say Never
10. High & Low