Love Is All

Whenever a worldwide buzz band comes through Toronto as more of a breeze than a tsunami, it’s always a curious study to see who listens to all the hype. Gothenburg, Sweden’s Love Is All first made waves last year when Pitchfork gave them an astounding mark on their debut full-length, Nine Times That Same Song. Since then, the five-piece have appeared just about everywhere, garnering rave reviews, and yet have showed little interest in graduating from their home on tiny indie label What’s Your Rupture? Maybe it was the lack of exposure on Canadian soil, but Toronto seemed less than ecstatic about their arrival, as the venue only managed to fill to approximately one-quarter capacity. Such an event left the band to either deliver one of those "had to be there” moments or simply leave town feeling undeserved of the attention. Thankfully, Love Is All achieved the former by dazzling the jubilant spectators, bringing an enthusiasm that even surpasses that which governs their album. Front-woman Josephine Olausson is cut from the same cloth as Poly Styrene and Kathleen Hanna, leading the way with an unbridled spirit that also engages with Björk’s level of charisma and adorability. While her band-mates held their own adequately, occasionally joining in on back-up vocals, the stripy sweater-clad Olausson stole the show with her bubbly demeanour on bouncy, danceable numbers like "Ageing Had Never Been His Friend” and "Spinning and Scratching.” Despite a disappointingly restrained version of album highlight "Felt Tip” and some brief moments of drowned-out guitars and horns, the band mustered the requisite gusto for "Used Goods,” with Olausson delivering said adorable goods upon pronunciation of the emphasised word "cheese.” Right now they’re still a best-kept secret, but next time Love Is All roll into town you have to believe the word will have spread and the other three quarters will arrive kicking themselves over missing the band’s debut.