POST NO. 41: WHAT SWEDEN CALLS "COUNTRY"

The Chrysler may not have the most tantalizing of monikers to import into America from Sweden, but you'll forgive them for the oversight when you hear their charming take on melancholy indie pop. The group -- considered a country act in their homeland -- marry whimsical, carefree, Belle & Sebastian-styled pop with the loose-goosey, drunk-at-the-pulpit, country-folk of Lambchop. The fuel that drives The Chrysler is hardly high octane. These Swedes prefer coasting when at all possible, content to soak up their dour mood in solace.

Anders Rudstrom and Pelle Lindroth -- both exceptional songwriters with a taste for quirky lyrics -- seem to be second cousins to Richard Davies. Like Davies, they often reach for the sophistication of grandiose melodies, but ultimately play the shy boy in the end. Expect the group's sullen tone to be affixed to your unconscious by lots of melodica, piano, organ, and horns.

Last year, I mentioned their EP, Blue Gold, on my Top 30 Records of 2004. Their new offering in the States, Failures and Sparks, actually predates Blue Gold by a year. It was The Chrysler's 2003 debut, and it's now being reissued in America by Galaxy Gramophone. While it isn't likely to blow many minds, it is an enticing full-length debut that proves once again that imports often trump domestics, moniker aside.

Here's one of the album's more countrified tunes, which just so happens to remind me of The Shins.

The Chrysler - "Along the Freefall"

I'm more partial to this tune, however, which reminds me of Clinic spliced together with The Concretes.

The Chrysler - "Damn Straight Evil"

For a bunch of additional songs, see their site.