Institute of Contemporary Arts

Lykke Li / El Perro del Mar

Date: 11 June 2008

Jahan Nazeer

Every night at the ICA has some kind of buzz about it, the schedule is packed with great line-ups. But, there are certain nights where one can feel a real electricity about the place. Where the excitement surrounds you the minute you get to the entrance and there is a strong sense that the (music) world is watching closely. Wednesday was shaping up to be one of those nights. As I took a brisk walk through Soho's backstreets, through Piccadilly Circus and onto the Mall, I could already see groups of music fans making there way to the entrance, meeting, smoking and chatting. Inside, more bustle towards the bar. Fans, journalists, photographers, radio producers, stood, drink in hand discussing tonight's acts. 

After a rather guarded chat with a few fellow reviewers, I made my way through to the main room where the crowd had begun to assemble and there was a nicely eclectic mix being played - South-East Asian operatic pop followed by vintage 70s soul - worked for me.

Before long, the lights dimmed and a lone figure took to the stage. Carrying just an acoustic guitar, she took her position by her microphone, under a spotlight. El Perro del Mar is a music project started in 2003 by Sarah Assbring in Gothenberg. Immediately striking, her songs engaged the crowd right from the beginning. Sometimes spooky, often catchy, the room was soon filled with guitar chords and interesting melodies. Her voice, sweet yet strong, demure yet emotionally charged, had a great power to it, drawing the listener closer to her. Joined on stage by a keyboard player and later bass guitarist, Sarah also played some flute and some percussion. Her songs are genuinely beautiful, soulful, accessible, dreamy, more often downtempo and very enjoyable. Having not heard any of her/their music before the gig, I was really impressed by El Perro Del Mar. Great support on the night and well worth looking out for.

Back in the bar area, vibes had upped from excitement to a near-frenzy as Swedish music was discussed, more drinks were ordered and cameras flashed. Lykke Li was up next and the sell-out crowd were now all present, awaiting the much talked about headline act. The main room was plunged into darkness as chimes sounded and synth parts built into an almost orchestral crescendo. Accompanied by a keyboard player, a guitarist and a drummer, Lykke Li exploded onto the stage. Opening with a rhythmic ‘teaspoon-style' beat and her characteristic cutesy, breathy vocals, Lykke Li exhibited such personality and energy it was impossible to not fall into her grooves and enjoy her clean pop melodies. Confidence, real attitude, kazoo solos and some very hot dance moves, Lykke Li threw herself into the performance with such heartfelt emotion and the crowd responded with great spirit. Noticing this, Lykke Li encouraged the crowd to clap in beat as she pulled out a speakerphone and added vocals. Running through a short but sweet set of songs from her album Youth Novels, her material is a fantastic mix of bittersweet songwriting and up-beat electro/pop backing tracks. Called back for an encore, Lykke Li first sung a downtempo track before announcing that she had enjoyed the performance so much that she'd like to do one more. To my surprise, that one turned out to be her own take on A Tribe Called Quest's classic ‘Can I Kick It' including her rapping the entire first verse. Much respect.

 

 

 

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