Jens Lekman
Nights falls over Kortedala
Service/Secretly Canadian
This must surely be one of the most eagerly awaited albums of the year, not just for me but for a lot of people out there. I was a little scared to listen to it at first, fearing that it wouldn't be as good as I've so intensely wanted it to be. At first I was a bit confused, I thought the album was too much about clever instrumentation and sampling, but then after a few proper listenings (i.e. not on the bus while reading the paper) the songs started to appear for me out of the hodgepodge of different sounds, and it all made sense. Most of the tracks on "Night falls..." are simply pretty (and quite bombastic) pop songs, despite all the odd samples, use of instruments etc. The thing that got me hooked on Jens Lekman was his fabulous and quirky lyrics, and the lyrics on this album are probably his best ever. Some of the choruses Lekman's penned for this album are simply stunning, his songwriting skills are just getting better and better. There are a couple of tracks that I'm not overly keen on, but then three or four songs on here are already classics, as far as I'm concerned, and the more I listen to the rest, the more the album seems like another Jens Lekman solid release that you'll love and treasure. Sweet, reliable and sure to pick you up, just like a good cup of coffee - Jens Lekman's back and he's still fantastic!
- Simon Tagestam
