El Perro Del Mar - From the Valley to the Stars (Memphis Industries)

Sarah Assbring’s thematic collection of 16 truncated tracks paints her personal ideas of heaven and its associations, the intention being that each offering be taken as a hymn or psalm, not standing alone, but rather contributing to a single artistic piece, much like a mass. A grand ambition for a sophomore, or indeed any album, and one which sadly, but not critically, fails on its main theme. For whilst at its lowest ebb, Inside the Golden Egg’s budget-Casio honk plays out like the worst Greek café ditty you never did hear, each moment of misjudgement is counter balanced: title track From the Valley to the Stars' hypnotic Seefeel loop, and Jubilee’s parading cathedral organ led drama setting the balance dead straight. Assbring may have wanted to fly in the face of the current download culture, but the fact remains that sifting the tracks on offer here will harvest a far better crop than accepting From the Valley to the Stars as it comes.