Ann Yu doesn't wade gently into 'Sea of Love,' the lead single on 'Touch,' the forthcoming sophomore album by San Francisco dream-pop duo Silver Swans. She dives right into the emotional deep end, singing with a strange, sensuous ache as she submerges herself in bandmate Jon Waters' bathwater-warm synths. As Yu tells Diffuser.fm, this mysterious tune is about a burgeoning love affair, and while she declined to say more, the enigmatic songstress gamely shared her top 10 songs about new love. Scroll down to read her picks and explanations, and then check out 'Sea of Love,' streaming at the bottom of the page.

  • 10

    Kings of Convenience

    '24-25'

    There is something beautifully and brutally honest about this love song that I feel connected to. I hear such a vibrant story in this short and haunting melody.

  • 9

    Chris Isaak

    'Wicked Game'

    I love the music video as much as this song. It's a classic song and one that seems to seep into my conscious when I'm creating.

  • 8

    Serge Gainsbourg

    'Je t’Aime…Moi Non Plus'

    Sometimes, I would like to be Jane Birkin. That is all.

  • 7

    Lightning Seeds

    'Pure'

    There's an innocence to this song, between the melody and the lyrics, that conjures so much nostalgia and burnt-honey moments. I listen to this when I long for the love that is made in movies.

  • 6

    Cass McCombs

    'Dreams Come True Girl'

    A man who will sing me this to me is the man I will marry.

  • 5

    Bjork

    'Hyberballad'

    This song makes me want to crawl up into the arms of my lover and close my eyes forever.

  • 4

    The Field Mice

    'So Said Kay'

    One of the favorite love songs of my life. The song which plays in my head when I think of my love.

  • 3

    Magnetic Fields

    'Lovers From the Moon'

    A beautiful pop song that makes me want to sit in the sun and smile for fearlessness, first loves, true loves and new beginnings.

  • 2

    Blonde Redhead

    'The Dress'

    I relate to this song when the intensity of love blinds me.

     

  • 1

    Sade

    'Lovers Rock'

    This song inspired 'Sea of Love,' the idea that your love is the only person who can save you, the only one who will weather any storm and keep you safe no matter how far you fall.

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