Sondre Lerche is February's man. i am very lucky that my daily routine generously affords me the opportunity to listen to astronomical amounts of music. my obsessive compulsive habit of putting one album on loop until i exhaust it is sped up considerably, making the average time for an album's survival much shorter (unless i control myself and rotate it with other music, as i'm often forced to do). but recently i started the long journey called "learning Sondre Lerche's new album," and i can tell this time that it is my new obsession. i anticipate Phantom Punch more than any other album in winter '07.

"Sondre Lerche" is a name i see everywhere right now, and it always follows the same two other names: Bloc Party and The Shins. check Flaunt, check Nylon, check z!nk, check... other alternative style magazines who land a pretty decent music review section. these people are priming the "mainstream alternative" culture for the "newest biggest," and Sondre looks like he's in line. but have you seen his mug in these pictures? the babyfaced skinny boy stands there, looking as timid as Beck, and yet similarly busts out with some of the most incredible and versatile music i've ever heard. Sondre, where's the voice in that head? and he steps half into shadow.

his latest effort, the third of those that i've known well, the fourth for the rest of the world -- puts this native Norwegian boy in a category somewhere close to pop genius, pushing his band (The Faces Down) to new levels. it's obvious how he understands the music, getting it to naturally work for him, integrating every part with planning and precision that makes the songs compositionally tight yet confidently natural and fluid. the pop itself has no immediate connections to flow, however. "punch" turns out to be the perfect word to describe it, as guitar sets itself in your face while skinnyboy (sorry Sondre) jumps in with his vocals, landing over instrumentation that blares and subsides like hormones, like twentysomething angst, like the rhythm of this city living. it's addictive in a personal way, a pop masterpiece that forces me to give it up for the "next alternative sensation."

::::ah, seems like only yesterday this was "Two Way Monologue," huh?
Sondre Lerche - Airport Taxi Reception - - this is the perfect way to start the album. i couldn't have been more excited after hearing this 2:28 track. it instantly confirmed how much i'd love the album.
Sondre Lerche - John, Let Me Go - - classic Sondre, but so mature. so worth it.

i wish i could give you them all, but here's the
BONUS:
Sondre Lerche - Happy Birthday Girl
- - frankly, this song shocked me. he slows down the pace to bring up the intensity, slowly climbing with a high-reverb, beautiful composition which soars as it breaks at about five minutes, extending out to 7:28 with your attention on every move. he's so impressive, kids.
collect more at the hype

here. go to his media page to hear the two singles (highly addictive), and be sure to read his punchlines. then pop over to myspace, where you'll get a fix of everything Sondre, as well as past singles of his (last two albums). fall madly in love, in case you haven't caught that bug yet, and then pre-order, because it all drops February 6th. and believe me, this is not an album to miss.  shan  8:26 AM  |  view comments (0)