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Photos, Live Review: Lykke Li @ Birmingham Glee Club

07th October 2008 | by Gavin Riley

"This is a special song that if you're next to someone you really like, you should maybe slide a hand onto theirs".

Lykke Li is electric tonight, and when she isn't coercing the crowd to dance, she's sorting out their love lives for them too. For someone whose songs aren't known for their decibel levels, Lykke produces enough energy and movement to give the Large Hadron Collider a run for its money.

Preceding Sweden's newest pop chanteuse was Israeli-born, South African-raised Yoav. Taking to the stage by himself, he is left little room to manoeuvre as he is surrounded by the myriad of instruments all set up for Li's show.

Yet his electronically manipulated folk music is a useful warm-up, and thankfully his diversity means he doesn't follow the now traditional male singer/songwriter with a guitar pattern. You cannot argue that this man is not a talented guitar player, and that's before he even strikes a chord. Prior to each song, Yoav takes a moment to strike his guitar in various places, feed the resulting sounds into the pedals resting below his bare feet, and out the amplifiers come thumping drum-lines peppered with various organic sounds which provide the backbones to his songs.

If the man can squeeze a few more hooks into his output and become a little less reliant on his array of guitar pedals, Yoav could possibly transcend all the labels and genres you can throw at him. The man certainly has a bright future.

Half an hour after Yoav has left the stage, the crowd has become tighter in anticipation of Lykke Li's arrival. She takes her time, allowing each of her backing band comes on-stage first.

When she finally arrives to add the vocals to Youth Novels opener, 'Melodies & Desires', you cannot miss the oversized jewellery; the haunting and darkly seductive vocals; and a crowd lapping up each of her tracks.

Several times throughout the evening Li refers to herself as a "debut artist", apologising for not having enough songs to fill out an entire show. She covers amongst others, Vampire Weekend's 'Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa' and childhood favourites  A Tribe Called Quest, with the latter provoking boisterous feedback to the question - "Can I Kick It?" (cue Barack Obama for the response, or Bob the Builder, depending on region)

But it's her own songs that deserve special attention. On record, 'Complaint Department' is a messy, dreary number that tends to grate. Yet, live - Li somehow manages to transform the song into a vigorous, multi-faceted gem. 'Tonight' is another track that will be forever remembered, sealing the hearts of those assembled. 'Dont you let me go / let me go tonight' she implores. We only wish she could stay.

Lykke Li is not lacking a sense of humour either, after promising a "happy dance", she came out for an encore asking if anyone wanted to "hear some Duffy!" There was a collective groan, save for two over-enthusiastic concert-goers at the front. And just when you thought the night was going to end on a whimper of incredulity, Li burst into laughter, staggered that anyone thought she'd dare such a thing. It still didn't stop her cheekily adding a line from the song during her last hurrah.

She may not be the most technical, big-thinking original artist touring these shores this year, but Lykke Li left the audience with splashes of ineffable joy, her jacket, and her beautiful, fragile pop.

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