Most of the "Americal Idol" contestants didn't have a clue how to handle Motown songs a couple of weeks ago, even when Miss Ross turned up to coach them.
How exactly the beautiful Swedish singer Sarah Assbring (true, not an ideal showbiz name) manages to find the early-Motor-City groove is something of a mystery. Maybe she listened to a lot of Smokey Robinson growing up during the long Swedish winters: her vocals nearly defy gravity. In any case, the result is a musical oxymoron: bright, girlpoppy wistfulness.
Ms. Assbring records under the name El Perro del Mar, which means the sea dog. The story goes that at a low point in her life, she escaped to a Spanish island to sit on a beach and try to piece things together. A scruffy dog kept coming up to her, offering comfort. For the lovelorn, she's now returning the favor.
Her most recent album is available from iTunes.
Watch the video for "God Knows (You Gotta Give to Get)" here.
written on Friday Mar 23, 2007
upbeat,
downbeat,
pop song.
