I'm probably the second to last person on Earth to have listened to Lykke Li (there is always someone else!) but with her playing a free in-store performance at Rough Trade East and me being in London at the same time we collided, I wasn't sure what I'd get, or why I hadn't listened to her music before, I think my assumption was she was a pop act that I'd care not much for like 90% of the artists that make their way to number one in the Hype Machine chart, I was wrong.
The low-key, stripped back and short but sweet set was overwhelmingly brilliant, a three piece backing band providing an acoustic guitar, woozy keyboards and tinpot percussion added to the heart-wrenching vulnerability in Lykke's powerful voice meant a thoroughly enjoyable 25 minute set, a wise chance encounter.
Six songs from the newly released 'Wounded Rhymes' were played, lyrically much heavier and bleaker than I expected, exhibiting an honest, bruised emotion that was touchingly beautiful. In "I Know Places" and "Sadness is a Blessing" we hear a heart-broken Lykke sing with sincere emotional tenderness of a victim of unrequited love to "Get Some" (which provided the biggest cheers and dances of the evening) where she is at her most provocative and aggressive with it's lyrics "Like a shotgun needs an outcome / I’m your prostitute, you’re gonna get some", easily the most up-tempo and lively number heard on the set.
The voyeuristic themed "I Follow Rivers" use of kettle drumming, hand-clapping and exotic flavours provides a standout among an set of them.
I've been listening to the CD all day, it's an outstanding album, aside from those mentioned on the live review an early highlight is the albums closure "Silent My Song" which has a 60's girl group, with a vocal reminiscent of Dusty Springfield, if you haven't given it a spin listen to a few samples below // buy here. Normally I'd have got the vinyl but it was £27.99 !!! Not a chance! The album though deserves a solid 8.5 / 10 - maybe increasing on further listens.
An insight to the intimate feeling of the gig can be seen in this wonderful video from TLOBF (we had records not dinosaur bones though!):
Lykke Li - I Follow Rivers from The Line Of Best Fit on Vimeo.
I Know Places by LykkeLi
Lykke Li - Get Some by LykkeLi
I Follow Rivers by LykkeLi
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