I’ve spent the last week listening to Lykke Li’s debut album, Youth Novels, produced by Bjorn of Peter Bjorn and John fame. Li is from Sweden, and has been tagged as electronica, indie, and pop. Youth Novels feels that little bit different, like a Nordic hybrid of Fiona Apple & Feist with an electric twist.

The crowd had no idea what to expect - most people’s experience extending only as far as the killer dance moves on show in Youth novels two singles Little Bit (above) and I’m Good, I’m Gone (below).

My first visit to the sugar club is sweet, massive half moon wine coloured couches completely occupied, theatre style with panelled walls and burgundy drapes, a bar at the back and a tiny dancefloor just in front of the stage. At nine El Perro del Mar arrives, mod, in black mini and tights, blonde hair tied back at the nape of her neck. Assbring, her real name, carries off a neat, forty minute set.

Shortly after ten, the house music cuts. Lykke Li’s keyboardist, guitarist and drummer, clad in dark greys and blacks, enter one by one, vaulting the stage to start into ‘Dance, Dance, Dance’. Li herself appears, in a dark uniform of black shorts, top, jumper and ankle boots, adorned with strands of silver necklaces and a black sequinned headband. Seeing her in person I immediately think of a more beautiful Olsen twin. Her voice is like organic lavender honey, “Words can never make up for what you do”. As she dances the boys work their instruments up into a whirlwind of energy. A moment arrives that demands a horn; she proceeds to play a Kazoo, seconds later raising a drumstick she leaps and smashes at cymbals on the drum kit beside her. One, twice, thrice. When she does pause, it’s only to tell us all to get up and dance - this is a rock concert - as we sit in unmoving rows, staring silently down at her. The beat moves seamlessly to the lyrically bittersweet ‘Let It Fall’ and I can feel the room collectively begin to move, bobbing heads, tapping feet. Lykke Li repeats her call for dancing and as we continue sitting frozen she decides to sing a love song.

Reintroducing El Perro del Mar to the stage to sing back up, Lykke Li asks the audience, “Be honest, how many people in the room have ever been heartbroken?” Most of us play it coy, so surveying the crowd she dedicates ‘My Love’ to a dapper red head in braces. We discover that just as Lykke Li can seriously work the stage for her upbeat tracks, she can also pull off motown, soul. She’s crooning, swaying and reaching out longingly to the audience from behind the mike. Over the next half hour Li sails through practically all of Youth Novels.

Toward the end of her set, Lykke Li steps it up a notch, kicking into Breaking It Up, a tune with a ridiculously catchy, soul sister vibe. Within moments we’ve finally leapt out of their seats and scampered onto to the dance floor, shouting out on mass the chorus, “If you’re going abroad I can’t help you, If you’re crossing the street I might be there!”

The final track on the album, ‘Window Blues’, is musically bare though lyrically thrilling, Likki’s drummer returns to the timpani and brings a heavy beat to proceedings while Li handles a megaphone rather majestically in order to create the songs eerie backing voices.

Afterward, the group make a darting exit from the stage only to return for a rapturous encore, Lykke Li exclaiming that she is a debut artist and has “only like five songs!” She offers us a reggae version of “I’m good, I’m gone” to the delight and surprise of the crowd. Finishing the night with a cover of Tribe Called Quest’s “Can I kick it?”, Li inspires the mass waving of outstretched arms at the line “Yes you can!” The night’s been a testament to the infectiousness of Lykke Li’s charismatic pop perfection.

Lykke Li will be adding more Autumn UK dates to her roster, along with more festivals - Glastonbury, Secret Garden, Big Chill, Summer Sundae and Bestival…Bestival is just the week after Electric Picnic and I for one think Lykke Li would be perfect for the festival!