Sondre Lerche: A Smart Norwegian Boy-Avril

Much has been made about the contrast between 20-year-old Sondre Lerche's wide-eyed innocence and his wise, inspired songwriting. Written at 16, recorded at 17, Lerche's debut album Faces Down has gone gold in his native Norway and is reassuring proof that the endangered and often elusive intelligent love song is alive and well in this pop prodigy's gentle hands.

On tour to charm North America, Lerche leans forward at a picnic table and politely nibbles on a club sandwich. His response to recent hype is measured, modest.

"It's a big complement that people, who are usually older than me, think that my songs are wise. But I suppose it's better than to be told they're dumb," he says, laughing.

Lerche's sound is delightful and surprising: a fusion of jazz, lounge, easy listening and smart pop that evokes memories of Burt Bacharach and the drama of old show tunes. At an age where he could have been pursuing so many other uninspired teenaged endeavors, Lerche was in his bedroom, writing romantic mini-masterpieces.

"It's what I was up to, it felt natural, kind of like a primal expression of my time at that point," Lerche says. "Basically, it's like a lot of stuff that Avril Lavigne sings about — but it's all in the way you pronounce your emotions. It's not extraordinary to me; it's just what I'm made of, I guess," he says shrugging, his blue eyes flickering.

Lerche doesn't let the comparison to Canada's pop princess go far. While he concedes they may both begin with similar principal emotions, they've taken very different approaches to expressing them.

"They're using all the same tricks," he says of Avril's pop-punk rebellious image. "They're trying to convince people that the music is more rare, more cutting edge than it is, but I'm not totally convinced."

He is charming, he doesn't talk with his mouth full and he's as guileless as can be. It is safe to assume that the romantic Sondre Lerche is as honest in love as he is in music. Perhaps they're one and the same.

"It's about getting the music across to a wider audience and making them feel special when they listen to it. You can manipulate people to feel that way, but it's kind of wrong."