Sondre Lerche - 'Two Way Monologue' (Astralwerks)
4/5
By: Joshua K
Let's just say it right off the bat. The second album from young Norwegian singer-songwriter Sondre Lerche is a thing of beauty. Downbeat, fragile, lush, contradictory, 'Two Way Monologue' is a pastoral record which lulls you with timeless melodies while beating with a heart that's entirely of its time (i.e. now).
To accomplish this feat ever, let alone in your early twenties, is quite an achievement. Lerche does so by channeling the spirits of Nick Drake and later-period Beatles, with aplomb (see the gentle guitar plucking of 'Track You Down' and keyboard washes of 'Days That Are Over', respectively) - but don't think for a second that he's a mere copyist.
Far from it, as he's already proved on first LP, 'Faces Down'. Rather, it's the spirit of these past masters that he once again embraces, alchemizing their essence into his expressive voice to again convey the love, loss and longing that define life.
That said, this time out Lerche has more than just generic relations on his mind. Like the rest of us, he's been shaped by the past three years' global events. Hence, there's nothing here as frothy and light as the debut disc's Gainsbourg-esque 'Human Nature'. Instead, interesting are the numerous references to lost innocence ('We were chasing rabbits on the hill/And that prairie-life was great, but never real'), lack of understanding (a 'Two Way Monologue' does not a dialogue make), destruction ('Now aeroplanes are crashing') and stunned silences ('Down came the sky/And all you did was blink').
Collectively, these allusions add up to a darker musical tapestry, one that's less immediate than Lerche's earlier works. But it's also a more rewarding canvas for those willing to watch him vent.
Combine this newfound heft with the gorgeous, rolling pop loveliness of other tracks including 'On The Tower', 'Counter Spark' and 'It's Our Job', and you get one of the year's most compelling releases. That simple.
Artists in this article: Sondre Lerche
Your Feedback
Login to post your comment