Even though I'm sorry, I can't deny my sin

Do you know who I was missing a few weeks ago?

Evan. His Erasure-esque "Under Your Spell" was dramatic pop and brilliant. (This is usually where I'd embed his Melodifestival 2006 performance of it, but that won't get across how great the song sounds in good and studio quality).

Do you know who's given us previews of his third album?

Evan. Go listen to them here if you're interested.

For those of you who want more dramatic electronic pop, go straight to "By My Side." Actually, scratch that--it's more than good enough to post here. Still visit his site, though; there are three other full songs there.

By My Side--this is the Evan we know and love; the rushing electro rain that opens up "Under Your Spell" may have been placed with piano, but "By My Side" is still the electronic non-ballad side of Evan (though that's not to say he doesn't do a lovely emotional ballad, too). Evan's songs live for melodrama--it's their lyrical and musical root--so don't be surprised at the piano, the orchestral swoops and crashes, the heavy beat, and lyrics that are a desperate plea for the return of a lost love. It even gets pretty lyrically dark at moments, with Evan singing "walking down the alley, the lake is straight ahead/should I dive into the water and unite with the dead?", which probably reads ridiculously on paper but fits perfectly into the soundscapes Evan creates. In fact, I wouldn't expect anything less from him--his music is always accessible pop, but it's not pop of the everyday sort--this is the pop you'd listen to if you were a Victorian character walking across some windswept rainy moor at twilight after your false accusation of unfaithfulness had caused your lover (who had secretly faked his own death and returned in disguise as your tutor to escape an angry former flame) to commit suicide. Or if you were Hero and had just realized Leander had died...and you happened to have an affinity for electronically created pop music. In other words, thank goodness for Evan because no one else is making music like this, and my music collection would be worse off without it.

His site also reports that his third album is due out in mid-2009.

There's nowhere as of yet to buy "By My Side," but you can buy Evan's last album, Under Your Spell, here (physical) or here (digital).

Next up: maybe more Swedish pop (I was going to try to write about something else, but I may post my original post for today instead) or that British pop-rock.