Mercury Lounge, NY Live Review: 4/21/08 *** “Don’t worry—I’m from Sweden,” says Tobias Froberg, pausing to readjust the backing drum track playing from his laptop before scrambling back to the microphone. It’s not clear exactly what he means by this. But for us, it’s a reminder of Froberg’s esteemed pedigree—he’s emerging from Sweden’s indie folk music scene, which has given us artists like José González and Peter Morén (from Peter, Bjorn & John), with whom he’s touring. This is the first night of their U.S. dates, kicking off at the Mercury Lounge in New York City. We might take his words as assurance that he’ll deliver us more of that sweet acoustic folk rock. If that’s the case, then Froberg, who just released his third album titled “Turn Heads,” makes good on the promise. He opens with “On God’s Highway,” a gentle ballad off his second album, accompanied only by some delicate fingerwork on the guitar. He has that kind of hushed voice that on albums comes across as sweet and tender, and demands meditative listening, but which might easily get lost in a live show among the chatter of a gathering audience or imperfect sound mixing. That doesn’t happen. Tonight, Froberg’s voice sounds more robust live than recorded, anchoring down melodies as he adds backing tracks of drums and strings. Fumbling at first with a programmed backbeat, he launches into “You Are,” a dreamy, contemplative number from “Turn Heads.” Soon, Froberg jumps to the keyboard, and is joined by a drummer and Morén on bass. It feels like a low-key practice session, in a good way. They’re not so rehearsed that the short performance sounds mechanical or dull. Instead, it feels more improvised, the simple instrumentation locking together in a way that’s delivered best by performers of a similar musical stripe—in this case, a heartwarming acoustic sound. These guys get each other. And they’re having fun. A big part of what makes Froberg’s show enjoyable is his easygoing nature, evidenced also by the charming asides he uses to introduce songs. (An example, on “Somewhere in the City:” “It’s very deep. It’s about going out and finding someone—and having sex.”) Twice between songs, Froberg raises his arms and bows slightly. “Thank you, America,” he says, feigning stoicism. Though he’s still a bit rough around the edges, we trust that he’ll stick around to share more of his charm and tender sensibility. It seems like he has more than enough to spare. He’s from Sweden, after all. *** http://www.tobiasfroberg.com/website/