A couple of years ago, Swedish record label Labrador released a summer sampler of gargantuan proportions. A lot of those 68 songs are unremarkable (though none is truly awful).
But I keep coming back to Chasing Dorotea's unabashedly romantic The Anchor Song.
Part of the song's charm is its simplicity: two voices singing mostly in unison, backed by an acoustic guitar, with a harmonica decorating the space around the verses.
The singers exude tranquillity and relaxation, right from “You've got a sparkle in your eyes, stronger than the brightest sun”. Even the instruments seem carefree as they ebb and flow amongst the vocals.
But the real joy is in the lyrics' endless river of metaphors and fond exaggerations.
This song is guaranteed to leave you with a lower blood pressure, a subdued heartbeat and a wistful smile. If you download one song this week, make it The Anchor Song.
(How do you follow that? Something slightly more lively but equally lovely: “Spring Came, Rain Fell” by Club 8, from the same sampler.)
