Wildbirds & Peacedrums - Live
[London Cafe Oto]

While labels like Kning and Hapna are merrily forging a new musical identity for a nation terminally associated to just one group, there are probably more Swedish folk living in East London than many Swedish towns. So a chilly Dalston evening dedicated to Swedish musicians feels more coincidental than unusual.

What is unusual tonight however is by design, as this is the second evening of the no.signal curated Swedish Outsiders festival. It's a gleefully obtuse affair of stone-still laptop manipulators and chronic melody dodgers exploring the outer limits of rubbing a guitar with a drum stick for 20 minutes at a time.

Sandwiched amongst the patience teasers are Leaf's drum and voice duo Wildbirds & Peacedrums. Employing only Mariam Wallentin's bewitching voice and Andreas Werliin's primal, cannibal island'esque drumming, this is a spell binding and intoxicating adventure. Were melody a gymnastic discipline, Wallentin would be Olympian.

It would be lazy and perhaps a little trite to draw parallels to Jeff Buckley at his most beguiling, but I just have done and without wanting to detract from what is an evening stealing performance, the parallel is an enduring one.

The sonic marriage of fiercely hypnotic rhythm and octave mocking vocal is only occasionally coloured by additional instrumentation and recent single Doubt Hope perfectly surmises the lush/stark argument that defines the Wildbirds sound.

In an evening framed by self conscious introspection, Wildbirds & Peacedrums feel like the moment at family function when the disco starts and the bar opens - an absolute and joyous release. The attention is held and as they push passed us to the exit to a shower of applause, they look justifiably chuffed.