Jens Lekman – An Argument With Myself EP (Secretly Canadian)
4/5
By: Steven Endersby
A former bingo hall employee who emerged from Gothenburg, Sweden, some 8 years ago now with the 'Maple Leaves' single, An Argument With Myself is one in a string of EP's – his 13th – Jens Lekman has released around just two LP's. On the surface this seems to be a result of the kind of musical prolificism not often associated with bands of the 21st Century, or possibly a belief that the album is dead, maaan. In truth it's quite probably a self acknowledgement that the cheery tone and lyrical bombast of his output would be hard to sustain through a full 12 songs, or 45 minutes.
With roots in the work of Arthur Russell – who he covered on 2009's Rough Trade EP Four Songs by Arthur Russell - The Magnetic Fields, Scott Walker, and the Modern Lovers, Jens Lekman's songs have tended to be laced with major chord hooks and a lyrical wit not often found this side of Jonathan Richman. And here we find him inhabiting no different territory, the opener and titular track beginning with an almost Caribbean drumbeat and guitar line – Graceland-era Paul Simon fans take note - before the story starts to unfold. The playful lyrics tell the story of, well, an argument had with one's self, while lines such as ”fuck you, no you fuck you / oh please, no you oh please” lend the song a charming whimsical quality.
As the EP unfolds Lekman's songs maintain a very introspective quality, with subjects drawn almost exclusively from his own life, friends, family and the Gothenburg he knows and, quite possibly, loves – one of the standout tracks, 'Waiting for Kirsten', features the chorus line 'In Gothenburg we don't have VIP lines”.
Musically the tracks maintain a familiar tone to his past work, sitting neatly alongside contemporaries such as Sufjan Stevens and labelmates Danielson, and while it's unlikely this release will send Lekman in to the mainstream – he's unlikely to bother the Radio 1, or even 6music, playlist anytime soon and certainly won't be seen clothes-horsing in the pages of the NME off the back of this record – fans should find this one of Lekman's strongest bodies of work. Awash with musical colour and lyrical texture and clocking in at a brief but heartfelt 17 minutes, the EP's five tracks find Lekman on sparkling form and are deserving of your attention.
Jens Lekman - An Argument with Myself by $EDPMC Vincent
Artists in this article: Jens Lekman
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