Wildbirds & Peacedrums – Rhythm (Leaf)
The 4th album from Swedish husband & wife duo Mariam Wallentin and Andreas Werliin is all about the blues. Although not necessarily the blues as you know them. There is the pain of the blues, the desire of the blues, the tension and release, the insistent rhythm of the blues. That’s not to say that it’s miserable or depressing, far from it. It’s one of the most invigorating records you’ll hear. But all the songs revolve around that blues hub. So the opener ‘Ghosts and pains’ sets a series of vocal sighs, gasps and gospel flourishes above a repeating drum tattoo. Knockout single ‘The offbeat’ takes a more strident tone, Werliin exploring the limits of the snare drum while Wallentin implores and pleads as if her life depends on it. That’s the thing with Wildbirds & Peacedrums , you always get the feeling that they are committed, to the core. It makes listening to them a thrilling experience. ‘Mind blues’ mentions the genre explicitly but the scattergun of pe...