Lake Heartbeat

Service Records is, next to Studio's Information and the Tough Alliance's Sincerely Yours, Sweden's greatest―and most varied―independent label in my humble opinion. The Swedes are notorious for concocting "perfect" pop songs, traditionally of the jangle pop persuasion; they are not, however, the most varied musicians on the planet: they tend to stick to what they do best and not fiddle around outside those self-imposed borders much. Generally. Service's strength is in its ability to release music that spans multiple genres without losing its thematic centering. Jens Lekman's Jonathan Richman-style troubadour tunes mingle with DJ Kool Dust's buttery, retro disco jams; the Whitest Boy Alive's thin, airy pop mixes with the Embassy's post-punk synth-fueled melodrama; and so on.

Service's latest release is Lake Heartbeat's Trust In Numbers (buy it), a soothing, loungey modernization of easy-going 60s pop a la, say, Burt Bacharach. Lush string arrangements weave in and out of beachy guitar riffs; bouncy beats and cosmic bells enhance shimmery, reverb-laden coed vocals; and a certain intrinsic optimism fuels the record's overall road trip-ready vibe.

Here're a few samples from the long-player. If you're super excited by the superb creation, skip buying just the album and join Service for €25―they'll digitally deliver everything they drop for your life.

Lake Heartbeat - Pipedream

Lake Heartbeat - Build the Wall Up

Lake Heartbeat - Golden Chain