Wildbirds & Peacedrums Heartcore

• Words: Wyatt Williams
• Label: Leaf
• XLR8R Rating: 5/10

The couple in Wildbirds & Peacedrums met while studying music in Gothenburg, Sweden and before long they were playing shows and getting married. Comprised of just Andreas Werliin’s unusual percussive talents and Miriam Wallentin’s versatile voice, the duo plays with a notable sense of silence, inviting listeners’ imaginations to fill in the rest. Heartcore, their unfortunately titled debut, ambitiously attempts many genres–soul, folk, jazz, pop–but the result is haphazard. The songs work best when Wallentin’s soulful, layered vocals are the center of attention (“Pony”) but the occasional missteps into free-jazz drumming and unfocused songwriting sound like two talented musicians who haven’t yet found themselves. Let’s hope the marriage works out.