Taken By Trees w/ El Perro Del Mar – The Cedar, Minneapolis 23/02/10

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El Perro Del Mar // All photographs courtesy of Jon Behm [Reviler.org]

Two charming Swedish groups found a welcoming and receptive audience at the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis Tuesday evening, as Taken By Trees and El Perro Del Mar both delivered winsome sets that buoyed the spirits of all in attendance. The spotlight was placed squarely on both Victoria Bergsman and Sarah Assbring, the two enchanting frontwomen who are the creative architects of both groups, and during their respective sets they shared both an endearing spirit as well as the same backing band (with Taken By Trees adding one more guitarist to the bass, guitar and drums set up of El Perro Del Mar). It was a night filled with uplifting, ebullient songs that were never dragged down with self-seriousness or any posturing-it was carefree Swedish pop music at its best, and resonated well with the leisurely crowd.

El Perro Del Mar opened up the show with Sarah Assbring nowhere in sight, as the three backing musicians created the reggae tinged groove of ‘Let Me In’ that eventually brought Sarah dancing onstage. Assbring picked up an acoustic guitar on ‘Change Of Heart,’ which added a bit of depth to the track, and gently eased the set forward as she became more comfortable on stage. The band really hit their stride on a dynamic version of ‘L Is For Love,’ which had Assbring channeling a bit of Ian Curtis with her dance moves, and when she chimed in on guitar halfway through, it really fortified the propulsive, lively song.

As the group proceeded to play ‘Gotta Get Smart,’ Assbring had some technical problems with her guitar that unfortunately resulted in the band dropping the song from the set, with the drummer joking that the tour was taking its toll on their equipment. The show went on (it must!) with Sarah simply focusing on her vocals and forgoing her acoustic support. She joked after the skipped ‘Smart,’ that “I’ve got plenty of other songs about love,” before the band settled into the 50′s-flavored sound of ‘It Is Something.’ Assbring’s vocals, which were pitch perfect all evening long, at times were reminiscent of Lykke Li, another Swedish chanteuse, especially on the delicately gorgeous ‘A Better Love.’ I was hoping that the cover of the xx’s ‘Shelter’ that the band has been doing lately would find its way into the set, and I was pleased when they played it near the end of their performance. EPDM’s version has just as much tension and mood as the original, and is driven by the tight rhythm section, who kept the sound steady all evening long. After a tender version of ‘Heavenly Arms’ closed out their brief but amiable set, the band left to a warm applause.

Taken By Trees

Loads of incense were brought on stage before Taken By Trees set began, to not only create an inviting atmosphere but to also shroud the stage in smoke. Adding to the mood was an introductory video that appeared to be travel movies from Pakistan, with Sufi music accompaniment. It turned a bit ominous when parts of the video featured a mass self-flagellation in a city square, but returned to more scenic views before the band took the stage. They eased into the wistful strains of ‘To Lose Someone’ in near darkness, as various images continued to be shown on the backdrop, augmenting their entire performance. Victoria seemed genuinely pleased with the nice turn out (perhaps due to the small crowds for past Concretes shows in the city), and grew more comfortable with the audience as the set went on- even asking if someone could get her more wine halfway through the performance, which someone quickly made happen.

The bands jaunty cover of Animal Collective’s ‘My Girls,’ which Bergsman reworks as ‘My Boys’ was a fun surprise, and was one of the early set highlights, along with a capricious take on ‘Anna’ which quickly followed. TBT’s music is quite diaphanous and emotive, and both those qualities were threaded throughout their captivating performance. Victoria had bells around her ankles that playfully kept time with the songs as she gracefully glided about the stage, adding a bit of a childlike, organic feel to the music. She also dedicated ‘Greyest Love Of All’ to her cat Jacob, her “dearest furry friend,” with the performance enhanced by images of who I can only guess was the feline itself.

The songs were much more beat driven and danceable than the mostly spare arrangements found on TBT’s records, and that element helped breathe some added life into the material, giving songs like ‘Too Young’ and ‘Day By Day’ a more spirited rhythm and pulse. ‘Lost And Found’ was gorgeous, with Bergsman’s lovely voice ringing throughout the tiny club. She thanked Camera Obscura’s Tracyanne Campbell for writing the song for her, and I must admit to thinking many times during the performance how similar their vocal styles are.

After a vibrant version of ‘Watch The Waves’ closed out the main set, Victoria came back out with just the guitarist and delivered an acoustic rendering of ‘Tidens Gang,’ which was sung in Swedish. She said the lyrics were about the passage of time, and how we must all hold on to the moment, a genuine sentiment no matter what the language. The brisk set concluded with the hopeful and radiant ‘Summer Sigh,’ which certainly caused a good deal of the audience, who are plenty sick of the Minnesota winter, to think of warmer times. And as the crowd made their way out into the cold of the February evening, they at least had the blissful, sunny Swedish pop music of El Perro Del Mar and Taken By Trees lingering in their ears, transporting them to a far brighter place.

mp3:> El Perro Del Mar: “Let Me In (Nhessingtons Remix)”
mp3:> Taken By Trees: “Anna”