Lesser Matters
studio
ArtistThe Radio Dept.
CoverRadiodept_lessermatters.jpg
GenreDream pop · indie pop · shoegaze
LabelLabrador · Shelflife
ProducerJohan Duncanson · Martin Larsson
Next year2006

Lesser Matters is the debut studio album by Swedish indie pop band The Radio Dept. It was released on 4 March 2003 by Labrador Records.[1]

The song "Keen on Boys" was featured in Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette, also appearing on the soundtrack to the film.[2] "Strange Things Will Happen" was also featured in The Fault in Our Stars.[3]

Music

The album's style is dream pop, drawing additional influence from noise pop and classic indie pop. AllMusic compared the album's music to the works of My Bloody Valentine, the Jesus and Mary Chain, Orange Juice, Felt, the Cure and New Order.[4]

Critical reception

Lesser Matters received rave reviews from critics. The album holds a rating of 84 out of 100 on the review aggregation website Metacritic, indicating "universal acclaim".[5] It was ranked the ninth best album of 2004 by NME.[6] AllMusic gave the album four stars out of five, praising the songwriting.[4]

Personnel

Credits for Lesser Matters adapted from album liner notes.[7]

The Radio Dept.

  • Johan Duncansson – vocals, guitar, keyboards
  • Martin Larsson – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
  • Lisa Carlberg – bass, piano
  • Per Blomgren – drums

Additional musicians

  • Elin Almered – lead vocals (track 10)
  • Johannes Burström – Roland Juno-60 synthesiser (tracks 3 and 8)

Production

  • Johan Duncansson – mixing, recording
  • Martin Larsson – mixing, recording
  • Thomas Eberger – mastering

Artwork and design

  • Elin Almered – cover artwork, painting
  • Mattias Berglund – sleeve design
  • Mårten Carlberg – photography

Charts

Chart (2003–04)Peak
position

References

  1. ^ "The Radio Dept. – Lesser Matters". Labrador Records. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  2. ^ "Amazon.com Marie Antoinette soundtrack". Amazon. Retrieved 2006-10-27.
  3. ^ Various artists, "The Fault In Our Stars: Music From The Motion Picture", retrieved 2021-12-06
  4. ^ "Lesser Matters - The Radio Dept. | Album | AllMusic", retrieved 2026-05-26
  5. ^ "Reviews for Lesser Matters by The Radio Dept.". Metacritic. Retrieved 16 January 2011.
  6. ^ "NME End Of Year Lists 2004.". Rocklist.net. 9 January 2011. Archived from the original on November 18, 2009. Retrieved 16 January 2011.
  7. ^ Lesser Matters (liner notes). Labrador Records. 2003. LAB035.