Loney Dear

Dear John

[3.5/5]

Sad records can be off-putting, and the last thing America needs is another maudlin Swede peddling his own brand of moody acoustic folk rock to the emotionally starved suburban hipster youth. It’s a good thing, then, that Loney Dear eschew the folksy six-string in favor of dark orchestral arrangements layered over intricate pop melodies with nods to techno rhythms. While songwriter Emil Svanängen isn’t winning any awards for subtlety with lyrics like, “Every time I make a try/I cry and cry for you,” the opening melody in “Harsh Words” is sweetly sublime and enough to turn any sour mood sugary. Dear John rewards the attentive listener with complexities crafted by a Swedish pop mastermind; just don’t meditate on the lyrics for comfort after an emotional breakup. (POLYVINYL; polyvinylrecords.com) Jesse Raub