| KoKoro | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 16 September 2016 | |||
| Length | 34:35 | |||
| Language | English | |||
| Label | The Control Group | |||
| Producer |
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| El Perro del Mar chronology | ||||
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KoKoro is a 2016 studio album by Swedish indie rock musical act El Perro del Mar. It has received positive reviews from critics for expanding existing indie sounds with a variety of world music influences.
According to the review aggregator Metacritic , KoKoro received "generally favorable reviews" based on a weighted average score of 80 out of 100 from 10 critic scores. [1] Editors at AllMusic rated this album 4 out of 5 stars, with critic Tim Sendra writing that El Perro del Mar "wraps her brightly melancholy melodies in a jangling, worldly layer of sound that includes African rhythms, Middle Eastern drums, Asian woodwinds and strings, and rumbling bass" that results in "a stunning upgrade, and KoKoro stands as one of the best works of her already pretty great career". [2] At Clash Music , Lois Browne called this an "elegant record which serves up something far from the norm" and gave it an 8 out of 10 for being "unusual, refreshing and vulnerable". [3] Writing for Drowned in Sound , Bekki Bemrose rated KoKoro an 8 out of 10, characterizing it as "a finely-drawn treat", with "a delicate layer of melancholy that hangs over many of the compositions". [4] Laura Sciarpelletti of Exclaim! rated this album a 9 out of 10, stating that it "finds the Scandinavian beauty departing from her signature melancholic pop style to embark on a journey of cultural instrumental exploration", which "proves her undying artistry with an obvious focus on beauty and the human heart". [5]
No Ripcord 's Juan Edgardo Rodríguez gave this work a 7 out of 10, writing that "beauty and elegance is always at the core of every El Perro del Mar release" and praised Sarah Assbring's for "utiliz[ing] an assortment of Asian and Middle Eastern instrumentation that provides a colorful and enlightening view to the album’s self-reflective musical excursions". [6] Editors at Pitchfork Media scored this release 7.1 out of 10 and critic Bejamin Scheim praised Assbring's ability to take "global influences [to] bring her to bright new places with inspiring albeit uneven results", criticizing that the music is "drawing from these ethnocultural traditions without a sense of clear rhyme or reason" but continuing that "Assbring’s knack for creating well-written, catchy melodies carries the record it even in its slightest moments". [7] At PopMatters , Pryor Stroud characterized KoKoro as "a sound that is both startlingly unique and warmly familiar" and scored it a 7 out of 10, noting that for listeners of this band, there will be new sounds, but a continuity with the themes and moods of previous albums. [8] Jeremy Allen of The Quietus characterized this music as "pure pop alchemy" and the strength of the songwriting counteracts any suggestions of cultural appropriation. [9]
All songs written by Jacob Haage and El Perro del Mar.
El Perro del Mar is a musical project that was founded in December 2003 in Gothenburg, Sweden. The sole member of El Perro del Mar, Sarah Assbring, initially started as an MP3/CD-R artist and released her first songs through Hybris Records. Her music could originally have been described as melancholic indie pop, but in recent years she is noted for being a "chameleon" with "every visual, sound, costume, and so on painstakenly thought out" for consecutive albums.
El Perro del Mar is the second album by Swedish musician Sarah Assbring, a.k.a. El Perro del Mar. It was first released in Sweden on 10 April 2006 by Hybris Records, in Europe by Memphis Industries, in Australasia on 6 November 2006 by Rogue Records, and in the United States on 7 November 2006 by The Control Group. The album is a revised version of her 2005 compilation Look! It's El Perro del Mar!.
Love Is Not Pop is an album by El Perro del Mar. It was released in Sweden on 1 April 2009 and in the US on 20 October. The first single, "Change of Heart", was released on 23 February 2009.
Pop Negro is the third studio album by el Guincho. It was released on 13 September 2010 by Young Turks. Pop Negro was named best Spanish album of 2010 by Rockdelux, while the single "Bombay" and its music video, directed by Nicolás Méndez, were named best song and best music video. The music video for "Bombay" also serves as part of the trailer for a larger film by Méndez, with music by el Guincho. Bombay is also on the soundtrack for the 2011 video game FIFA 12.
Ingrid is a Swedish artist collective and record label founded in 2012. They released their first compilation on Record Store Day in 2012. The collective's musical work is notable for containing multiple side-projects by its members that do not adhere to the line-ups of their primary ventures; for example, Björn Yttling has a track entitled "Cuban Lips" under the stage name Yttling Jazz on the Ingrid Volym 1 compilation; however, he is also featured as a member of the band Smile along with Teddybears member Joakim Åhlund. All of the bands featured on the compilation are of this nature or are solo works. The record label has been managed by Niklas Hallberg since March 2013.
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Grasque is the third studio album by Copenhagen-based Danish chamber pop band Choir of Young Believers, released on February 19, 2016, on Ghostly International in the United States and on Tigerspring in Europe.
Oh Inhuman Spectacle is the debut studio album by Australian band Methyl Ethel. It was released in June 2015 through Dot Dash/4AD.
Everybody Works is the second studio album by indie music artist Jay Som, released on March 10, 2017 by Double Denim Records and Polyvinyl Record Co. Everybody Works has received acclaim from music critics.
Sacred Paws is a Scottish rock band, comprising Ray Aggs and Eilidh Rodgers, who met as members of the band Golden Grrrls. Their debut album Strike a Match won the 2017 Scottish Album of the Year Award.
Need to Feel Your Love is the debut studio album of Philadelphia punk group Sheer Mag. It was recorded in six months starting in the fall of 2016 and produced by Hart Seeley. It differs from previous records by the band for its cleaner sound and more dynamic tone. Lyrically, the album has both political songs and soul, funk, and disco-tinged love tracks.
Pastoral is the third studio album by English electronic music project Gazelle Twin of composer, producer, and musician Elizabeth Bernholz. It was released on 21 September 2018 by Anti-Ghost Moon Ray Records.
Nothing Valley is the debut studio album by American band Melkbelly. It was released on October 13, 2017 through Wax Nine Records, a subsidiary of Carpark Records.
Queen of Golden Dogs is the third studio album by English musician Vessel. It was released on 9 November 2018, under Tri Angle.
Faithful Fairy Harmony is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Josephine Foster. It was released on November 18, 2018, by Fire Records.
Buds is the third studio album by American band Ovlov. It was released on November 19, 2021, by Exploding in Sound.
Big Anonymous is a 2024 studio album by Swedish indie rock musical act El Perro del Mar. It has received positive reviews from critics.
Blu Wav is the sixth studio album by American indie rock band Grandaddy. Released on February 16, 2024, through Dangerbird Records, it marks their first album in nearly six years since Last Place, as well as their first since the death of bassist Kevin Garcia. The album's title is a portmanteau of the genres bluegrass and new wave. It has been preceded by the singles "Watercooler" and "Cabin in My Mind".
Modern Fiction is the debut full-length album by Canadian indie rock duo Ducks Ltd. The album received positive reviews from critics.
