Sondre Lerche — Two Way Monologue

Sondre Lerche’s debut album, 2002’s Faces Down, was something of a pop revelation — the album’s set of near-perfect songs were breezy, well-crafted, charming and, most astounding of all, recorded when Lerche was only a teenager. Now the Norwegian boy wonder is a ripe 21 years old and has miraculously managed to create an album as well-crafted and bewitching as his debut.

Two Way Monologue brings us a more cultivated Lerche — he still obviously reveres classic songwriters like Burt Bacharach and Cole Porter, but he’s varied his approach by dabbling with full band rock-ups and even a touch of country. He’s grown lyrically as well, with Faces Down’s innocence being replaced with clever word play and introspective relationship musings. Crisp and lovely, this sophomore disc proves that Lerche’s draw doesn’t lie solely in his youth and establishes him as a leader in the new wave of sophisticated, grown-up pop music.

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