SONDRE LERCHE

Sondre Lerche

[Mona]

Sondre Lerche has undertaken several stylistic transitions in his relatively brief career, from chamber-pop wannabe and crooner of the occasional torch song to would-be rocker. With his latest album, an eponymous effort released independently, the native Norwegian finds a comfortable niche that accommodates all these incarnations. Whether it’s the casual stride that glides through “Ricochet,” “Living Dangerously” and “Red Flags,” or the kinetic pace propelling “Go Right Ahead” and “When the River,” Lerche remains cool, committed and consistently at ease. The arrangements sometimes seem nonchalant, but there are intriguing elements: the droning violins that give “Coliseum Town” its exotic mystique, the tipsy sway sashaying through “Domino,” the hushed shuffle that underlies “Tied Up to the Tide.” It suggests a sound that might result were John Mayer, David Gray and Paul Simon to pool their musical DNA, a combination of shiny surfaces and serious introspection. –Lee Zimmerman

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