“Dog” by El Perro Del Mar
First, let me say that i just couldn’t narrow it down to ten. I tried. I really did. But I had to settle on twelve. I almost just said, “To Hell with it,” and chose twenty, but I just don’t want to upload twenty mp3’s today. Twelve it is.
“Dog” is the kick-off track. Technically, it’s from November of 2006, but I discovered it in 2007 so, you know what? I’m putting it on this list. We’re not the Academy over here. We don’t quibble. Sarah Assbring’s album is an affecting cloud of dreamy guitar, lilting vocals and melancholy, bittersweet melodies. It’s simultaneously a cool salve and a dash of salt into the wounds of the romantically bereft, both depressing and lovely at the same time.
The artist herself, regarding her music:
El Perro del Mar simply is the easiest and most direct way for me to say and do the things I cannot do in real life. To live inside the music, to close the door on the outside world – if just for 3 minutes or basically just the length of a standard pop song – is what makes the hours of the day worth while.
She’s got a blog (sporadically updated) and a myspace page and news of a new album due out in February over on the official site. If it’s as good as the last one, she might just make next year’s list as well.
