El Perro Del Mar - somebody's baby, 2008

"At first listen, From the Valley plays like the musical backdrop to a picturesque snow-topped village, the kind of whimsical setting where ponies pull sleighs and little girls in tam hats carry oversized lollipops. Except there’s something slightly off about this otherwise storybook scene, something just below the surface—a moodiness or an impish patter. Consider the opening track “Jubilee,” which is essentially a one-word song, a celebratory tune if the title is any indication; perhaps it’s the pulsating organs or Assbring’s choirgirl harmonization, or the combination of the two that creates a spooky sound effect. For whatever reason, the result is less festive than it is peculiar (in a positive way)."