>> SONDRE LERCHE

as i just learned about his new cd coming out september 8 '09, i come to realize that not nearly enough people know of the talent that is sondre lerche (you may know him from the Dan in Real Life soundtrack). needless to say: i love 'is music. i love 'is style.

"Born and raised in Bergen, a small West Coast Norwegian city, Sondre fell under the spell of the records his older brother and two sisters played - Norwegian pop sensations A-Ha, the Beach Boys, Elvis Costello and Prefab Sprout all made an indelible mark on Lerche’s musical consciousness. “I felt the need to take a step from being a passive listener and get more involved,” Lerche recalls. “I decided to learn an instrument.” Lerche chose guitar.

...Two Way Monologue, another collection of tidy, well-crafted pop followed in 2004. Lerche’s vocals were more confident, swooping from a mellow tenor to playful falsetto ornamentations, with songs marked by lush melodies and expansive pop arrangements.


...Phantom Punch is sparked by Lerche’s initial musical exposure, paying tribute to a wide range of sounds anywhere from 80s pop to Brazilian music. There are sharp edgy rockers like “Face The Blood” and “The Tape;” bright melodic pop tunes like “Say It All” and “She’s Fantastic;” the psychotic disco-waltz of the addictive title track, the acoustic introspection of “Tragic Mirror” and “John, Let Me Go”, a surrealistic tune with a quirky yet infectious bossa nova rhythm.

..Norwegian singer-songwriter Sondre Lerche lives in Brooklyn these days, but the 26-year old's still writing ambitious, orchestral pop that proves difficult to pin down geographically. Heartbeat Radio, the 12-song followup to the Dan in Real Life soundtrack, comes with string and horn arrangements via High Llamas' Sean O'Hagan, which add to the dramatic feel: The meta title track recalls an imagined Rufus Wainwright musical. There's an oldster throwback quality to it -- Lerche's questioning FM radio, whether or not it's become automatic, if the DJs have drowned in "a sea of reverb," what comes after heavy rotation, and whether or not this particular song's too long to make it onto the airwaves. It makes him nauseous, but because he's a trooper, he wants it to know that his heart still beats for it. He's a better person than I am."