ARTICLE BY JOY SHI
MAY 30 | WEST HOLLYWOOD—When Junip took the stage at the Troubadour tonight, the Swedish band effected a quiet phenomenon that swept the entire venue. It started unassumingly. The band had barely finished assembling on stage when José González began strumming the chords that eventually coalesced into “In Every Direction.” The players bore the manner of a group of friends settling into an afternoon sidewalk set. González even kept his guitar box open beside him for the first part of the show; his slight frame delicately kneeling to tune for a brief minute.
The blithe air affecting Junip’s introduction by no means indicated an unintentional performance. Touring in support of Junip, their eponymous sophomore album released last month, the Swedish folk rock group kicked off the North American leg of their tour with two sold out Troubadour shows. This was no small feat for a band that only recently began in earnest.
Ringed by a company of keyboard, synthesizer, and percussion players, guitarist/vocalist González, best known for his solo career that spanned the 2000s, stood center, while drummer Elias Araya and synth-player Tobias Winterkorn rounded out the stage ends. The group intently performed for over an hour and a half, featuring tracks mostly from Junip. The songs succinctly blended into one another and gradually transfixed every ear in the room.
The featured songs were expressly pensive without growing heavy, leaving listeners in a meditative, sober state. Although the European rendering of American blues that so richly peppered Fields is present, Junip creates space for a subtler, more aromatic blend of folk rock with African influences. The trio’s elegiac agreement is an equal mix of each core member’s strengths. A circular impulse flows throughout their music, a dual reflex of Winterkorn’s synths and Araya’s honed drumming. And while González’s eternally heartbreaking brass stirs every soul it reaches, it is apparent Junip is not intended to be a mere backdrop for it.
Junip began their set promptly, and they wasted no time in expressing thanks to the packed venue. Although there wasn't much dialogue between the songs, the band’s cool ardor had warmed by the middle of the set. During “Walking Lightly,” as González strummed, he turned toward Araya to share a genuine smile. The audience was eerily reflective. Most stood still, wholly consumed by Junip’s gravitational pull, while other individuals danced quietly amongst themselves.
The few words González had for Los Angeles were a sweet acknowledgement of the beautiful city, weather, and people. In return, the crowd could only offer hushed appreciation for Junip’s two enchanting nights in West Hollywood.
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