Swedish superlative

Swedish pop chanteuse Lykke Li took to the stage of the Paradise Rock Club Thursday night for an electrifying yet far-too brief set.
Dressed in an oversized black hoodie ‘-‘- with the hood up, obviously ‘-‘- Li (real name, the mouthful Li Lykke Timotej Zachrisson) opened with a rendition of the track ‘Dance, Dance, Dance’ from her debut album, Youth Novels.
Li kept chit-chat with the nearly sold-out crowd to a minimum and launched straight into ‘Let It Fall.’ After Li asked the audience if they had ever been in love, she played the whimsical album highlight, ‘My Love.’
For an album with a fairly laid-back sound, Li’s music surprisingly translated into a vibrant, percussion-heavy romp. Supported by only a DJ, guitarist and drummer, beats were accented, creating a much more lively sound in comparison to her studio recordings. In fact, Li would frequently stop singing to bang a lone drum herself.
Of course, Li didn’t forget to include the hit single ‘I’m Good, I’m Gone,’ which received a riotous response, as well as throwing in a cover of Vampire Weekend’s ‘Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa.’
Although the set lasted less than an hour, Lykke Li showed a stage prowess that would make her fellow Swedish popstars proud. Robyn, watch out.