So I’m new to El Perro Del Mar, and I don’t know how she slipped by me. She’s been cropping up on several people’s “Best of 2009″ lists for her album Love Is Not Pop, so it seemed about time that I paid attention. This Swedish chanteuse with a Spanish name will slowly steal your heart. According to allmusic, “the name El Perro del Mar came to her during an ill-fated vacation in Spain; she was alone, depressed, and out of sorts when a stray dog came up to her while she sat on the beach, and the dog’s efforts to bond with her inspired her to express her feelings through songwriting”. I wouldn’t say that she’s blowing my mind, as nothing she’s doing is exactly groundbreaking, but her music is beautiful in a quiet seductive way that can’t be denied. I was first drawn in by the simplicity of “Let Me In” and stopped in my tracks by the gorgeousness that is “Heavenly Arms”. Heartbreaking and melancholic, minus the contemporary production, these could easily be songs from another time. These are love songs, first and foremost, and should not be mistaken for trying to be anything else. Some of the tracks on the album were a bit too somber for my tastes, but the majority is perfect for quiet winter nights such as these.