There must be something in Sweden’s water. Despite being a relatively small country with a low international profile (IKEA stores notwithstanding), Sweden has given birth to some of pop music’s greatest acts. ABBA, The Cardigans, Jens Lekman, and The Knife, just to name a few. And now there’s one more name to tag onto the list: Sally Shapiro, a pseudonym for singer Sally Shapiro (not her real name) and songwriter/producer Johan Agebjörn.
The duo, who are coworkers at an undisclosed day job, have never played a live show and rarely pose for pictures or grant interviews (Shapiro says she would rather pick blueberries). Yet their debut album Disco Romance, an updated take on ’80s Italo disco in the vein of Glass Candy and the Chromatics, managed to pique the interest of a bevy of internet audiophiles and even win over the most difficult of critics, Pitchfork. And now, Sally Shapiro is back with a sophomore album titled My Guilty Pleasure, which Shapiro says “will hopefully make you fall in love with the person sitting next to you on the bus.” Just imagine: your next boyfriend could very well be that combatant crackhead one seat over on the 38 Geary! Lucky you.
Speaking of non-traditional love matches, check out the music video for “Love in July” below. An iceburg stands between a goldfish and the whale he loves. You’ll find yourself rooting for global warming.
Now picture this: You’re leaving a night club in the early hours and walking home in the fog. You’re wistful, a bit sedated, and brimming with love. And there’s a buzz in your ear left over from the loud speakers playing pop hits on the dance floor. Sally Shapiro’s music is kind of like that buzz, a mix of echoed synth beats and a candied euphoria.