Sondre Lerche — Phantom Punch

I'll be honest: I didn't think Sondre Lerche had it in him. Sure, Faces Down was full of pitch-perfect pop, but Two-Way Monologue did little to build on its promise, and last year's horrendous Duper Sessions had the singer leaning into the murky depths of the airport lounge singer. Phantom Punch is a record positively brimming in confident songwriting. The only question here is, where the hell did this come from? The record presents a complete 180-degree turn from the direction Lerche was meandering towards. The title track's disco beats are perfectly contrasted with dirty guitars and a hooky chorus that could rock indie dance floors all year. The real heartbreaker, though, is the seven-minute finale, "Happy Birthday Girl," a wall-of-sound slow burner that might be the best track Elliott Smith didn't record. Lerche's always been slightly overlooked, but Phantom Punch puts the "powerful" back in power-pop, and should be sought out by anyone who thinks classic musicianship is dead.