El Perro del Mar is the stage moniker of victim-of-unfortunate-surname Sarah Assbring, whose somber lo-fi pop channels 1960s girl group harmonization by way of a chilly winter wonderland. Assbring’s curriculum vitae includes a full-length album, a limited-release compilation album, a handful of MP3 tracks and EPs, 13,000+ Myspace followers, and a coveted friendship with fellow Swede and 2007 It Boy, Jens Lekman. Not bad for an “under-the-radar” artist.
El Perro del Mar’s second full-length album, From the Valley to the Stars, is set for U.S. release on April 22. Although she strays slightly from previous ventures in terms of palpable instrumentation (less jingly, more synth-y), Assbring retains the sweet melancholy that made her self-titled debut so deliciously infectious. At first listen, From the Valley plays like the musical backdrop to a picturesque snow-topped village, the kind of whimsical setting where ponies pull sleighs and little girls in tam hats carry oversized lollipops. Except there’s something slightly off about this otherwise storybook scene, something just below the surface—a moodiness or an impish patter. Consider the opening track “Jubilee,” which is essentially a one-word song, a celebratory tune if the title is any indication; perhaps it’s the pulsating organs or Assbring’s choirgirl
harmonization, or the combination of the two that creates a spooky sound effect. For whatever reason, the result is less festive than it is peculiar (in a positive way). Other highlights include “You Can’t Steal a Gift,” one of the few tracks that calls to mind “old-school” El Perro del Mar for its retro Spector-esque melody, and “Somebody’s Baby,” a swishy, swing-your-skirt number with sunny results.
As Vu mentioned previously, Assbring is kicking off a selective Swedish tour beginning in April, for those of you lucky duckies overseas. For more information about El Perro del Mar, follow these links:
Official website: www.elperrodelmar.com
Myspace: http://myspace.com/elperrodelmar
Blog: http://elpd/blogspot.com
- Lara
