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May 25, 2012 By Laura Studarus I Break Horses

A sold-out house greeted Maria Lindén and Fredrik Balck at their first ever Los Angeles show on Wednesday night. The Swedish duo—who perform as I Break Horses—were rolling through town in support of last year’s excellent debut Hearts. Despite a late set that led some to joke the gig was being renamed “I Break Curfew” (credit for that bon mot goes to fellow Under the Radar scribe Stephen Humphries) the band did not disappoint.

The pair took the stage flanked by two additional musicians and a series of smoke machines working overtime. Lindén—clad in a Little Red Riding Hood-style cloak—looked mystical in the setting, backlit by a series of multi-colored lights. It was appropriate vibe. Despite loosing her voice (a fact which was expertly concealed until after the set) her vocals sounded ethereal—already proving that she’s more than ready to take her place among shoegaze sirens.

The all-too-brief set was culled exclusively from Hearts. I—as per usual—will always find myself whining for one more song with the passion of a kid denied a cookie. However, I can’t fault the band for their well-curated performance, which cumulated with intense highlight “I Kill Love Baby!,” where M83’s Jordan Lawlor pressed into service on floor tom.

In all, short, but sweet. While many bands at this early stage in their career are content to simply play a set, I Break Horses put on a show.

(www.ibreakhorses.se)