NXNE Live: Last Days of April
BOVINE SEX CLUB- JUNE 7

The first thing that strikes you about the Stockholm trio Last Days of April is groove — they've got an abundance of it. It's the sort of mid-tempo lullaby rock that you need as a send-off into a warm summer's evening, particularly after a night's worth of club hopping, when the throb in your ears is as good a sign as any to head home.

It's fitting then, that the trio hit the Bovine stage for their second appearance of the night at about 2 a.m. Whispering sweet falsetto nothings into the mic, lead singer Karl Larsson captivated a night-owlish crowd with a set that delivered more melodies than a Baptist choir, eclipsing the band's appearance earlier in the evening at the El Mocambo.

As part of their North American debut tour, Larsson and co. held fast to newer material taken from February's Might As Well Live, which they played with little deviation from the recorded counterpart.

Where other trios sound in desperate need of a rhythm guitarist, Last Days of April, through Larsson's digital trickery, manages to sound so full that a fourth member might seem superfluous.

In fact, with emergent bands now cultivating more members than there are seats in a tour van, it's refreshing to see that a solid trio can still hold water, and that the presence of a glockenspiel on stage doesn't necessarily make for a worthwhile show.

If you happened to miss LDOA at either the El Mocambo or the Bovine, you can, and should, catch them on Saturday night at Jeff Healey's Roadhouse.