Lucid Dreaming with Sweden’s Fredrik

February 22nd, 2010 • Baltimore, Concert Review, Rock
Tags: Baltimore, Fredrik

I’m in love, and not to the bear of a man squished against me wearing a Veckatimest shirt or the beautiful couple to my left who were doppelgangers of Beach House. I have never been so ecstatic about a band since the Cotton Jones Basket Ride (now Cotton Jones).

Fredrik, a Swedish dream duo composed of Fredrik and Lindefelt, “use music as a medium to talk to people”, words taken from a hero of theirs, Sun Ra, and, over February Break, on Feb. 20, I attended a show of theirs in Baltimore’s Metro Gallery. In between spacey, intoxicating tunes, their narrative vocals steal your mind, irrevocably intriguing you into some faraway escapade. In a stark yet much welcomed juxtaposition to folk guitars, many of their songs build midway with the addition of horns and strange bellows. The crowd is swept into Fredrik’s lullabies in which our wildest dreams come true and everything is euphoric, strange, and alive.  All the sounds pulsate through you, shown through songs such as Alina’s Place, which was extended to 7 strong minutes, where the entire crowd cooed in like birds and chanted  “we’re all in.” They’re the best of the Cary Brothers , with leads resembling early Calexico, and the captivating backgrounds of Broken Social Scene.

So I leave you with these recommendations, because I know I have convinced you to join me in my praise of Fredrik: If you’re looking for a song to hook you, check out Ava. It’s bouncy, breathy, and a little creepy. In my mind a perfect combination. Definitely check out Na Na Ni, along with their newest album, Trilogi. Read more »