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Swedish Invasion
Honeydrips open for Lekman
By Dan Oberbruner
Lekman’s performance was alternately tender and melancholy, buoyant and exuberant, reflecting perfectly the diverse range of styles and moods he addresses and manipulates in his prolific catalog.
As part of an ongoing series of excellent “10 Buck Shows,” the Pabst welcomed Jens (pronounced Yens) Lekman and fellow Swedish singer/songwriter the Honeydrips on March 29. Lekman’s rise to fame in his native Sweden and growing popularity in the States is largely due to his ability to write charming, thoughtful and grandiose pop songs that have garnered glowing reviews. His latest release is “Night Falls Over Kortedala,” which is named after his hometown and the setting of much for much of his lyrical content.
The Honeydrips’ Mikael Carlsson started the night alone on stage with just his guitar and a computer. Many tracks off of his debut album, “Here Comes the Future,” use a fair bit of sampling and electronic sounds and sound manipulation.
The laptop at his side was an adequate backing band for his own unique brand of experimental pop songs. There were times, however, during extended instrumental breaks when the performance became borderline awkward as Carlsson would wait along with the audience for his chance to sing again; meanwhile he stared coldly and blankly out into the crowd.
Lekman’s performance was alternately tender and melancholy, buoyant and exuberant, reflecting perfectly the diverse range of styles and moods he addresses and manipulates in his prolific catalog.
There was quite a bit of discernable excitement and sincerity in his delivery, even through his frequently deadpan singing and the stories he had admittedly “told a million times.” Thankfully, he told them one more time: They are one of the most exciting aspects of his music.
In the song “A Postcard to Nina,” Jens is asked to pose as his friend Nina’s boyfriend so that she can conceal her love for another woman from her father. This comes as a surprise to Jens, who then has to keep Nina’s secret during a “German vegetarian” dinner. “Shirin” is a simple, beautiful description of a favorite hairstylist who would cut Jens’ hair once a month in Kortedala, an experience he described as “spiritual.”
The sample-heavy pop gems were just as good on stage as on record, as a cellist, a violinist, drums and what looked to be a laptop run by a funk sliding accomplice recreated the songs beautifully. The show ended with Lekman alone on stage with his guitar singing “The Cold Swedish Winter” about lovers trapped in snow. The final refrain drifted slowly and gracefully into silence, and the lower level of the Pabst burst into applause.
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