Norway's Sondre Lerche was still a precocious teenager when he started recording yet his debut album displayed a mastery of pop classicism. Lerche is heavily influenced by orchestrated 1960s pop from both sides of the Atlantic (echoes of everything from the Beatles to Bacharch can be heard here), but TWO WAY MONOLOGUE never descends into a derivative retro feel. Lerche's gentle, vulnerable voice provides a friendly travel guide through the often-surprising melodic twists and turns of his writing and arrangements. While elegant layers of keyboards and guitars tastefully adorn the tracks, the album never feels overdone; there's a reason for every part, and a place for every note. The occasionally soaring melodies and ambitious production are also balanced by an endearingly homespun quality that permeates TWO WAY MONOLOGUE no matter how involved the sonic setting.
Japanese edition of the Norwegian indie rocker's sophomore album includes one bonus track 'Johny Johny Ooh Ooh'. Copy Controlled. 2004.
Japanese edition features one bonus track.
Personnel: Sondre Lerche (vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, glockenspiel, bass, percussion, programming); Kato Adland (acoustic & electric guitars, organ, samples); Reid Gilje (trumpet); Sindre Dalhaug (trombone); HP Gundersen (piano, Fender Rhodes piano, organ, background vocals); Erik Halversen (piano); Jorgen Traeen (keyboards); Erik Berg (vibraphone); Ole Ludvig Kruger (drums, shaker); Leslie Ahern (background vocals).
Producers: Jorgen Traeen, HP Gundersen, Sondre Lerche.
Rolling Stone (3/18/04, p.71) - 3 stars out of 5 - "[T]his thinking person's pop star writes ornate, Sunday-morning melodies that suggest a composer twice his age....[The album's] uncluttered arrangements assimilate decades of chamber pop, folk, and even jazz." Entertainment Weekly (3/12/04, p.112) - "[A] breezy, unexpectedly enchanting CD--Nick Drake on Prozac." - Rating: B+ Uncut (p.98) - 4 stars out of 5 - "Lerche can do melancholic troubadour, shiny pop perfection, woozy psychedelia and symphonic ballads....A real find." Uncut (p.78) - Ranked #50 in Uncut's "Best New Albums of 2004" - "[A]n unexpected gem. Think swoonsome pop at its most non-cynical..." Magnet (p.103) - "[T]ricky, eager little songs that skip and sparkle with boyish abandon. The melodies are anchored in his ambling guitar..." Mojo (Publisher) (p.99) - 4 stars out of 5 - "[S]elf-effacing swing and sensitive soul."
amazing I dont think there are many 5 stars CDs out there, but the lyrical maturity (given the fact that Sondre is no more than 22 I guess), beautiful arrangements, touching voice, and the delicate armonies that can be found throughout the album, made "two way monologue" a masterpiece on its own right. This is a must, thanks for reading. Submitted by polo gallagher (america) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo This review is for a different format.
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