El Perro Del Mar
From the Valley to the Stars
(Memphis Industries)
Swedish chanteuse Sarah Assbring - aka El Perro Del Mar, it's Spanish for 'sea dog' - is so much more than just a funny name.
With that maverick genius Jens Lekman, she's been at the forefront of a Scandinavian movement that is breathing life into the world of whimsical pop. And while part of Lekman's charm is the fact that he never takes himself - or life - too seriously, Assbring shows on From the Valley to the Stars that she's reaching for a depth and meaning that is beyond her.
Although her voice is as light as the clouds, Assbring chooses misery as her motif and the mood slowly wears you down. So the blues-tinged beauty that is How Did We Forget? is quickly forgotten by the time she reels off her litany of woes.