El Perro Del Mar – From the Valley to the Stars
From the Valley to the Stars – El Perro Del Mar
By Chris Peken
No amount of angelic harmonies, innocent flutes and tinkling piano lines can distract from the fact that El Perro Del Mar front woman and Swedish anti-siren Sarah Assbring is in her heart of hearts, a sorrowful being. Haunting at times, sweet in sound but sad in timbre, Assbring’s voice – in its hushed tomes – bleeds all over From the Valley to the Stars. Working to a theme as over-arching as ‘heaven’, Assbringer followed a train of thought; “that of love, grief and loss, solace and hope, deepest despair and wildest childish euphoria.” Sparse delicate sounds populate her journey, songs melting from one to the next, carried on the zephyr of her voice, Can’t Steal a Gift, How Did We Forget’, Inside the Golden Egg – these would be staples of a children’s songbook would they not mark such innocent souls at such a tender age. For the stronger soul, a magical journey can be undertaken…with care.
*** 1/2
