Wildbirds & Peacedrums - The Snake

Doing something different in any musical genre is something definitely deserved of reward, however this second album from Swedish two-piece Wildbirds & Peacedrums can’t help but sound a little empty. Drummer Andreas Werliin does his best with some excellent drumwork throughout the record but vocalist Mariam Wallentin does not quite reciprocate this musical ability, and when there are only two people in your band a certain degree of talent is required from both parties.

Single ‘There Is No Light’ is the album’s highlight, harnessing Mariam’s vocals and using them in the best way possible. When this is managed it works brilliantly with the drums, however it does not happen nearly enough. More often than not ‘The Snake’ is a very unbalanced; tracks like ‘Liar Lion’ stumble through without ever really hitting their stride, a theme which drags the whole album down.

So, overall, it’s the unfortunate case of one member of the band dragging down their sound, and until Mariam Wallentin’s vocals can match up with Andreas’ drumming, they are doomed to continue releasing these uneven records.