The lush electrorchestral sweeps and the lazy trip-hop underlay would be enough to deserve permanent rotation status on your iPod -- and that's before Oslo-born Kate Havnevik even starts to sing.
Her voice is something that can't quite be described, though it's tempting to name-check Bjork, Kate Bush and Imogen Heap when you try (no coincidence, probably, that one of Havnevik's key collaborators is Guy Sigsworth of Frou Frou, the outfit that made Heap a household name). Havnevik's debut CD Melankton was an almost instant hit, and hearing Halo, the first single from her forthcoming as-yet-untitled album, strongly suggests zero sophomore slump.
So the fact that Havnevik is playing a free show (there's a $5 suggested donation and a one-drink minimum) at the Lower East Side hole-in-wall the Living Room is big news for music lovers. Your next opportunity to hear her artistry will likely involve presales and assigned seating in a much (much) larger venue. Kate Havnevik, 5/27, 10PM at The Living Room, 154 Ludlow Street at Stanton; (212) 533-7235.
