El Perro del Mar

El Perro Del Mar, the Spanish moniker of Swedish singer-songwriter Sarah Assbring, resembles nothing like a dog as her name would suggest. She's much more angelic, the way maybe a hummingbird is in its grace. Yet El "Picaflor" Del Mar just doesn't roll off the tongue the way Perro does.

Her first self-titled record was nice and jangly, yet at times, a very mellow affair. We saw her voice being the focal point of her work, and if you're not one for sparse arrangements, she'll probably put you to sleep. From The Valley To The Stars continues much more in the stripped down direction; aside from the poppy "Somebody's Baby" and the appropriately sunny-sounding "Inside The Sun." It would seem that all those '60s girl-group nods we heard on the last go around are pretty much done. Valley is much more comatose in nature, we find Assbring sounding more and more like Cocteau Twins babe Elizabeth Fraser. She's droney on the desperate, organ heavy "Do Not Despair," and a bit gospel-like on "Happiness Won Me Over."

Those subtle variations are hard to pick up on, and over the course of sixteen tracks, the mood feels a touch too somber. In other words, there's very little bite on this one, but her vocals are pleasant enough to keep paying attention maybe one more round. But who knows? There might be a Feist-y "1 2 3 4" lurking somewhere in Sarah.

—Michael D. Ayers
04.29.08

There are singers who can put over a sad song, there are singers who project melancholy, and then there are those who seem possessed of an elemental darkness deep within their souls. Sarah Assbring of El Perro del Mar is one of these. On her previous singles and album (2006's self-titled affair), Assbring convincingly, crushingly bled sadness -- in the music and the words, but most of all in her fragile and haunted vocals. Even at her cheeriest, Assbring still sounds like someone just broke into her house, stole all of her Ronettes and Bridget Saint John records, broke them one by one, and then kicked her cat for good measure. At her bleakest, it's like the sun just burned itself out. From the opening chords of "Jubilee" (as played by a very churchy organ), From the Valley to the Stars casts a spell of abject despair that's hard to break. Songs might be embellished with jaunty piano lines, childlike flutes, angelic harmonies, and even the occasional drumbeat, but they mope and weep like the saddest, bluest doo wop you'd ever hear on a Swedish street corner ("How Did We Forget?"), the loneliest, loveliest tear-stained indie pop ("Into the Sunshine," "Someday I'll Understand [Love Will Be My Mirror"]), or the creepiest fuzzy felt folk (the title track, "Inner Island") around. Assbring handles the production chores with a gentle and caring touch, mostly forsaking the chamber pop sound she previously utilized for a sparser, more delicate sound, though she can still create miniature symphonies with ease when the song calls for it. With the production, the songs, and above all her amazing vocal persona, Assbring and El Perro del Mar create a world of their own here. It's not a world for everyone -- you need a hearty soul to survive -- but if you can hack it, From the Valley to the Stars is a fairly magical trip to the center of heartache. ~ Tim Sendra, All Music Guide