Sweden’s husband and wife duo Wildbirds & Peacedrums make a flying visit to the UK. Their third studio album “Rivers” needs launching before the pair could head over to Japan to continue a promotional tour. London’s fashionable The Lexington was chosen as the venue and it suited the pair perfectly. Taking to the small stage, they played to a packed audience and proved their names worth. While Mariam Wallentin goes crazy releasing every emotion humanly possible, husband Andreas Werliin provided a constant and calming drumming presence.
The echoes of early Bjork in Mariam are no doubt an obvious comparison. Both are Scandinavian and have reputations for being feisty unafraid performers. But Bjork is not a bad person to be compared with. As a performer Mariam givers her all. Every song pours from her heart and fills the room effortlessly. When a technical hitch causes the pair to stop mid sad song, Mariam offered a little comic relief before returning convincingly to the melancholic tone without hesitation.
To say the crowd were captivated is an understatement. Mariam is compelling to watch, with her husband giving strong support. A true love was never more evident between a stage pairing. Though the duo uttered not a word to each other through their set, the constant sideways glances and secret smiles proved that one is not balanced without the other.
A musical relationship is all about finding an equilibrium. Many partnerships seem false and imposed. Often a real life relationship translates badly in terms of stage dynamism, yet somehow Wildbirds & Peacedrums escape the issue.
The sometimes frenetic set flew by in a fluster. yet Wildbird & Peacedrums entertained wholeheartedly With only occaisonal spoken interjections - their material did not need explanation.
Rarely does a band wear their heart so firmly on their sleeve, but such devout honesty is the key to Wildbirds & Peacedrums success. Two people and a set of drums never sounded so good.
- Jeremy Williams
The echoes of early Bjork in Mariam are no doubt an obvious comparison. Both are Scandinavian and have reputations for being feisty unafraid performers. But Bjork is not a bad person to be compared with. As a performer Mariam givers her all. Every song pours from her heart and fills the room effortlessly. When a technical hitch causes the pair to stop mid sad song, Mariam offered a little comic relief before returning convincingly to the melancholic tone without hesitation.
Two people and a set of drums never sounded so good.
To say the crowd were captivated is an understatement. Mariam is compelling to watch, with her husband giving strong support. A true love was never more evident between a stage pairing. Though the duo uttered not a word to each other through their set, the constant sideways glances and secret smiles proved that one is not balanced without the other.
A musical relationship is all about finding an equilibrium. Many partnerships seem false and imposed. Often a real life relationship translates badly in terms of stage dynamism, yet somehow Wildbirds & Peacedrums escape the issue.
The sometimes frenetic set flew by in a fluster. yet Wildbird & Peacedrums entertained wholeheartedly With only occaisonal spoken interjections - their material did not need explanation.
Rarely does a band wear their heart so firmly on their sleeve, but such devout honesty is the key to Wildbirds & Peacedrums success. Two people and a set of drums never sounded so good.
- Jeremy Williams