Bless those voyeuristic Swedes. There's little they've done that they won't admit. Going by this artist's pseudonym and album title, he is perhaps best heard from a distance but let's expose him anyway. He won't mind. The mastermind behind this crudely titled album goes by the name of Pell. The brave (stupid?) lad exchanged the relative beauty of Stockholm for the squalor of London's East End. However, Pell's background is largely immaterial; does the album prick up our floppy ears?
Part of the appeal of this album lies in its nakedness. Of course, the flipside of this is that it sounds like it may well have been recorded in the toilet of his East London flat. Whether or not you like your Swedish indie pop to be so bare, Pell's lyrics are deliberately naive and somehow tracks like "He Always Wear Waterproof Mascara" are hard to dislike. It's not even the novelty of the warbling Swede. It's just extremely likeable.
Additional credit is due to Pell for writing "The Guinness Is Pale ('Cos Of All Our Falling Tears)". It's a hugely silly song but one that instantly jumped out at the Bluesbunny. Why? We like Guinness.
If you're looking for the latest British pop sensation with the massive voice and sex appeal, this probably isn't the album for you. However, if you want some gaunt indie pop with burlesqued emotion, try this. You'll probably like it.
Available from Series Two Records.