Wildbirds & Peacedrums Rhythm

Wildbirds & Peacedrums return with their first record in four years; lean, hungry and defiant. In stripping back to their roots—drums and voice—they have discovered an unblinking directness, a taut muscularity honed from years of intensive live performance. Wildbirds & Peacedrums have turned the screw. Rhythm is the work of husband-and-wife duo Mariam Wallentin and Andreas Werliin. It is their unflinching vision, written, recorded and produced by the pair in their Stockholm studio. Unshakeable confidence in its execution could only have been achieved by working in this way. The results prove that intuitive and primal interplay between voice and drums still has the power to leave one breathless, the power to make one move. “We wanted it to feel like a live experience,” Werliin explains. “Almost every song is one take. We recorded standing in the same room, no screens or isolation, looking each other in the eyes.” While the drums and vocal template is timeless in itself and central to the band’s vision, Wildbirds have started to take their cues from tropicalia, punk and notably from contemporary R&B. These influences are particularly evident in the economical drive of opening one-two “Ghosts & Pains” and “The Offbeat,” and the neo-gospel of “Soft Wind, Soft Death.” The latter marks the album’s centerpiece, the moment the tension releases. The vocals no longer go blow for blow with the drums, instead rising above, moving over the clatter in waves, finding peace in a space of their own. Over the course of three acclaimed albums Wildbirds & Peacedrums have established themselves as a powerful, single-minded proposition. In the time between Rivers and Rhythm, the two have been involved in an impressive range of projects and collaborations. Wallentin released her first solo album as Mariam the Believer and starred in Ben Frost’s celebrated Wasp Factory opera. Werliin has been working as a producer and performing with Fire! and the Swedish Grammy-winning Tonbruket. This relentless creativity drives Wildbirds; the desire to push themselves is evident in everything they do.