El Perro Del Mar - From the Valley to the Stars [2008]A bit of the way through El Perro Del Mar’s new album, From the Valley to the Stars, Swedish vocalist and songwriter Sarah Assbring repeatedly sings “Don’t cast away your inner island”. It’s a line with metaphorical reverberations throughout the entire album.
El Perro Del Mar told us that she set out to record a good hearted album free from cynicism, and she’s succeeded with From the Valley to the Stars. But not in the way you might think, because we’re not talking about sunshine and lollipops here. For one, Sarah’s haunting voice precludes that. But beyond that, in many ways this album is a dark piece of work. Melancholy is El Perro’s bread and butter, and despite lighter moments such as “Somebody’s Baby”, the introspective gloom can’t help but seep in.
Happily, it works. This is a funereal piece of music, and Sarah sings like a brave widow. The sunny optimism of the lyrics of “Happiness Won Me Over” are put to the lie by sighing Church organs. Opener “Jubilee” uses those same organs to convey the joy that Christians are supposed to feel about Christ’s crucifixion – a joy fixated upon slow, violent death.
Then there’s that line, “Don’t cast away your inner island”. Much like the album, the lyric sounds sweet, corny even, upon first listen. But it’s really about solitude – while no man is an island, we all have an island in us. Maybe we go there to die, alone.
El Perro Del Mar told us that she set out to record a good hearted album free from cynicism, and she’s succeeded with From the Valley to the Stars. But not in the way you might think, because we’re not talking about sunshine and lollipops here. For one, Sarah’s haunting voice precludes that. But beyond that, in many ways this album is a dark piece of work. Melancholy is El Perro’s bread and butter, and despite lighter moments such as “Somebody’s Baby”, the introspective gloom can’t help but seep in.
Happily, it works. This is a funereal piece of music, and Sarah sings like a brave widow. The sunny optimism of the lyrics of “Happiness Won Me Over” are put to the lie by sighing Church organs. Opener “Jubilee” uses those same organs to convey the joy that Christians are supposed to feel about Christ’s crucifixion – a joy fixated upon slow, violent death.
Then there’s that line, “Don’t cast away your inner island”. Much like the album, the lyric sounds sweet, corny even, upon first listen. But it’s really about solitude – while no man is an island, we all have an island in us. Maybe we go there to die, alone.
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