Jens Lekman at the Mercury Lounge

Last night we saw Jens Lekman at the Mercury Lounge. Jens was backed by members of the Impossible Shapes, who also opened. I enjoyed the Shapes' set; while the songwriting is not necessarily highly memborable, it was a competent and enjoyable set of music that I enjoyed.

I had been impressed by the first few EPs by Lekman and was then somewhat disappointed by the album. I think that the duplication in tracks between the eps and the album influenced this. Also, I think the EP format is better for some artists than the album. I thought the live setting worked pretty well for Jens. He appeared with a rose tucked into his hair, looking like the romantic dork that he must be (or plays on stage). The songs sounded good and suited the room. I think the whole evening was enhanced by the Swedish contingent in the audience that felt the need to declare that "Goethenberg sucks!"

You can download a free Impossible Shapes album here.

There is also a whole bunch of Lekman here for free download.