Love Is Not Pop.

MP3: El Perro Del Mar - Change of Heart

Great news! El Perro Del Mar's finely crafted "Love Is Not Pop" will finally see release in the states on Octover 20th via the Control Group. I find it to be a fine blend of the intimacy from her first record and the instrumentation from her last one, making it (wait for it) her best album yet.

She'll be coming here to tour all of the cool cities with Peter Bjorn and John for most of November. I bet that'll be a lot of fun.

10.20.09 – Other Music Free In-Store Performance (8pm) – New York, NY***

11.07.09 – 9:30 Club – Washington, DC

11.08.09 – Theater of Living Arts – Philadelphia, PA

11.09.09 – Joe’s Pub – New York, NY***

11.10.09 – Terminal 5 – New York, NY

11.11.09 – Phoenix Theatre – Toronto, ON

11.12.09 – Metro – Chicago, IL

11.13.09 – Gargoyle Club – St. Louis, MO

11.14.09 – House of Blues – Dallas, TX

11.15.09 – La Zona Rosa – Austin, TX

11.17.09 – Rialto Theater – Tuscon, AZ

11.18.09 – House of Blues – San Diego, CA

11.19.09 – Great American Music Hall – San Francisco, CA

11.20.09 – Great American Music Hall – San Francisco, CA

11.21.09 – Club Nokia – Los Angeles, CA

11.23.09 – Hotel Cafe – Los Angeles, CA***

***Headlining show

El Perro Del Mar

MP3: El Perro Del Mar - How Did We Forget

On the first listen of El Perro Del Mar's "From the Valley to the Stars", it was very easy for me to dismiss it as rubbish. It lacked the hooks and desire of 2005's "Look! It's El Perro Del Mar", but certainly not the simplicity. Maybe on first thought I figured that was the downfall, but out of boredom I went in for a round two and suddenly the previously compiled slag fest I had as a review vanished in favour of what you are now reading. Yes, I like it.

Let's be clear: it's no album of the year. But it's sweet, simple (ah ha!) and honest. Sarah Assbring might not know how to write sprawling epics, but that's quite alright. The best way to sum up this record is that it's a follow up with the same mindset, but on a slightly larger budget leaving more room to play. Yes, it's repetitive, but it works wonders in the background of your life. I worry that the reviews I've read will kill the hype train Assbring was rightfully riding, but let's hope her followers are one step ahead of what their peers are peddling as "hip".

Walk, don't run to your record store, Sweden, (we'll get it soon enough United States) to grab this one, and walk home with it playing in your ears. Why move quickly, when you risk the possibility of missing out on something that is plain on the surface but rewarding when you look around.

I do wish she was still on the flawless Hybris though...

"From the Valley to the Stars" is out now in Scandinavia from Licking Fingers, in the UK in mid-May from Memphis Industries and April 22nd in the US from the Control Group.