Check out the video for "Minor detail" from Sondre Lerche: low / med / high

Magnus Eliassen
Second grace
Monomegamy Music

Lovers of the world, listen up. Norway's romantic troubadour, Magnus Eliassen, has just made a singer/songwriter opus that's about as filled with sweet, melodic, achingly lovely odes to matters of the heart as any record you've ever heard. And I'm not gonna suddenly get cynical or poke fun at it, either. The 11 tracks on this debut CD comprise a truly poignant, haunting song cycle that should connect emotionally with anyone who has ever been in love (or fearful of losing it). With a gentle voice that recalls Sondre Lerche (and occasionally Even Johansen/Magnet, minus the latter's weariness) and a singularly romantic aesthetic, Eliassen offers warm, folksy guitar strumming and touches of poppy electronics here and there over which he delivers one sparkling tribute/confession of love after another. "I wanna fight for you/But I don't wanna win/If I'm not the right for you/And if I am I always spin/I can't lose you," goes a verse in the largely acoustic "Grace." Eliassen's falsetto on "Falling in love" is exquisite, and sentiments like "You're so beautiful, I go crazy" that would come across as cliched or sappy in the hands of a lesser artist resonate with emotional purity here. "Write back," the paradoxically bouncy "Weakness," the closing "Until we meet again" with its intimate half-whispered vocal: they're all beautiful songs. In the melodic, jaunty number "Follow me," Eliassen repeatedly sings "Are you with me?/Will you come follow me?" You bet we will, Magnus, my friend--as long as you keep making exceptionally pretty, heartfelt recordings like this.
- Kevin Renick

Sondre Lerche has posted a new web diary with some details on his new record: http://www.sondrelerche.com/diary.asp?id=77

Norwegian singer/songwriter Sondre Lerche plans to release two new albums in 2006. Read more: http://www.sondrelerche.com/news.asp?id=127

Sondre Lerche checks in from the studio: http://www.sondrelerche.com/diary.asp?id=72

Sondre Lerche is hard at work on new material as revealed here on his website. Nothing but songtitles and speculation at this point, but he will be going into the studio with his band Faces Down to record this fall. In other news, check out Sondre's latest webdiary recounting his shows with Tina Dickow in Denmark and more: http://www.sondrelerche.com/diary.asp?id=71

Norway seems to be adept at exporting quality singer/songwriters these days. Both Sondre Lerche and Magnet seem to be doing quite well for themselves abroad and now there's upstart Robert Post to contend with. While I don't find his album as consistently good from beginning to end as the other aforementioned artists' most recent work, Robert is still a formidable entry into the genre. He's got such an amazingly effortless singing voice - just listen to the way he nails that high note on the final chorus of the song I've posted today. That kind of performance is simply undeniable. He sounds so natural and at-ease - he's a power-pop sensation just waiting to happen. Even though his just-released debut album tends to be a bit heavy on filler IMO, the three or four standout tracks do a fine job of making up for it. Definitely recommend for fans of Jason Falkner, Brendon Benson, Ben Christophers and the like.

Dutch music site RatatoskOnline has posted pics from the Dour Festival in Belgium featuring Jaga Jazzist, Madrugada, Logh and Sondre Lerche: http://gallery.ratatoskonline.net/view_album.php?set_albumName=Music

Sondre Lerche posts his first web diary entry as a newly married man: http://www.sondrelerche.com/diary.asp?id=70

Sondre Lerche has posted a new web diary entry: http://www.sondrelerche.com/diary.asp?id=69

MIC Norway profiles the growth of singer/songwriter Sondre Lerche: http://www.mic.no/mic.nsf/doc/art2005052309591648066834

Frida Hyvönen
Until death comes
Licking Fingers

After all the Scandinavian male singer/songwriters bombarding us in the last few years with their often boring drivel, it's refreshing to hear a girl release an album that turns all of those Kristofer Åström, Nicolai Dunger, and Sondre Lerche albums into dust. My favourite song here, at the moment, is "Once I was a serene teenaged child" which starts with the "did she just sing that word?"-couplet: "Once I was a serene teenaged child / Once I felt your cock against my thigh." The album is refreshingly varied and fortunately Frida's lyrics are equally excellent, and the album is most likely to figure in my "Top 10 Albums of 2005". Believe the hype!
- Simon Tagestam

Sondre Lerche recently recorded three new songs in LA with acclaimed producer/musician/artist Raphael Saadiq. No word on where they will end up yet, but I'll let you know. Read more about it here: http://www.sondrelerche.com/diary.asp?id=67

Sondre Lerche
Live @ Scala, London, 03/09/05

Sondre Lerche, the Norwegian singer/songwriter/crooner, is very charming. His music, lyrics, appearance, and especially his peculiar small-talk in-between songs will easily have any man or woman charmed right out of their pants. All this jolly charm is of course on the verge of being a bit too much, but Sondre seems to have calculated it specifically not to be either too dark or too happy. This is why Sondre Lerche's music works as a great antidote against such "darker" artists like Will Oldham, Bright Eyes, Smog etc. Live it works rather splendidly as well, with Sondre playing a balanced mix of songs from his two albums, and even though he's alone on stage with only his guitar as company, his intriguing charisma and intricate guitar playing is enough to transfix everyone at this sold-out show. If I get a chance to see Sondre Lerche again I think I'll bring my girlfriend and get a bit drunk, so I can pretend to be a drunken romantic for a night (Sondre's music suits as the perfect soundtrack for such an escapade).
- Simon Tagestam

A new web diary entry from Sondre Lerche: http://www.sondrelerche.com/diary.asp?id=66