Categories : Electronica, Music Reviews, Rock + Pop.
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Rating: 3 / 5 Reviewer: Andrew Mitchell |
“Fragile, this side up” should be the warning label on El Perro Del Mar’s Love Is Not Pop. The Swedish pop songstress, also known as Sarah Assbring, sings in such brittle, sorrowful whispers that you sense the slightest mishap just might send her over the edge.
Combining the airy wistfulness of Kate Bush and the delicate style of Francoise Hardy, Assbring’s voice floats over sparse melancholy accompaniment to odes of woe and heartbreak. At once, the guilty perpetrator of breakup on ‘Gotta Get Smart,’ she segues just as easily to victim on the follow up ‘Change Of Heart’ with a consistency of approach that balances delicately between achingly sensitive and overbearing. It’s the kind of recording where rapturous listening could provoke a rash response. The incessant begging for her lover’s heart to open on ‘Let Me In’ feels as excessive as the spiritual gratification she expresses on ‘Heavenly Arms’ feels rejuvenating.
The latter part of the album becomes more musically interesting with electronica remixes of the other album’s cuts. It’s these recordings that demand attention and make you ponder what more stimulating avenues Assbring might traipse. But take Love Is Not Pop for what it is – atmospheric pop, sublime for a casual listen.
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