Sondre Lerche - Two Way Monologue

Sondre Lerche is sticking with what he knows best

It's hard to think of Norway's Sondre Lerche without thinking of his sunny, smiley approach to music. In 2002, Lerche released one of the year’s finest albums with Faces Down. This time around, Lerche is sticking with what he knows best--the poppy, happy-go-lucky sounds that evoke smiles from listeners--his Two Way Monologue. Instead of trying to reinvent himself as many artists do on sophomore releases, Lerche was smart to stay with what fits him.

"Love You" transports off into a world with fields of daisies, azure skies, and little worry. From then on it's bliss in its simplest form. "On the Tower" is insanely catchy with Lerche's voice matched perfectly to the music. While his voice is not classically great; he is different in the fact his vocals aren't the driving force of the record. Yet somehow, Lerche makes each song work. The title track "Two Way Monologue" keeps the buoyant pace rolling on; it is not until a minute into the song that the beat truly picks up, but it is hard to remember that fact when Lerche sings of "chasing rabbits on the hill." The next song, "Days That Are Over" is the first song that really conquers something. Maybe getting caught up on the music makes one miss the point, but the thin veil of music in this song allows the lyrics to show through.

Enough about the songs; they are all poppy and sunny. The most important thing is that Lerche is maturing and growing as an artist in front of a wide audience. It is apparent that he is still nervous and unsure of where to go just yet. He probably made the right choice in deciding to tread through familiar ground. What's more impressive is the fact that Lerche is still at a young age and wrote most of the material in his latter teens. He has time to perfect his craft, but for now, it is these flaws that make his music infectious.

Walking away from this release, I was stuck on a pop high. Perhaps it is best to take this album one track at a time and appreciate each one with pace; the avalanche of music pouring at the listener is almost too much to digest in one sitting. Talent to make something that is memorable and is easy to listen to is hard to get. It is not something that is often found raw, but Lerche is special as he possesses this talent at such youthful stature. Lerche has clearly matured in regards to songwriting and performance, but he still has room to grow. Without doubt, the public will be seeing great things coming out from him in the next few years.

The reason to buy this album doesn't rest in Lerche's vocals. It doesn't rest in his lyrics. It rests in the simple fact that you'll be happy after you’re done listening. And honestly, who doesn't want to listen to an album and feel happy about it?

(Astralwerks)