Live

Sondre Lerche

Bill Cummings 16/09/2004

Before he arrives on stage Norwegian Sondre Lerche is preceded by jazz numbers by the likes of Sinatra and others, this kind introduction fits his sound. Standing alone on stage accept for one guitar, the blonde haired boyishly good looking Sondre Lerche has a voice of velvet, and a jazzy style of playing his instrument.

Addressing the crowd like an old friend he is polite in apologising for the lack of a full band backing, and for his guitar and the fact that its gone slightly out of tune. Running through his set he delivers each song with an impeccable sense of emotion, timing and that beautiful croon. Highlights include “Sleep on Needles” introduced as being a “rock n roll” song he wrote when he was fifteen, it's a beautifully rhythmic rock pop song with a fantastically 60s verse and a deliciously anthemic chorus of: “Sleep on Needles/You'll believe you are high! Sleep on Needles/ And you'll hear only the truth.”

What strikes me most is the reverence with which he barfly crowd observe Sondre's delicious mixture of beautiful guitar picking and wondrous vocals. From the Lovelorn strum of "Suffused with Love" to the gorgeously doe eyed majesty of "Dead Passengers" Sondre's sound is filled with tiny emotional epiphanies shot through with a sensitivity of spirit.

Elsewhere He offers further musical diversity with "Two way Monologue" taken from his recent album of the same name, its building verses arch into a glorious chorus. Its really worth investing time and effort into seeking out Sondre Lerche's music: he is able to craft wonderful jazz pop ditties that will remain in your heart for days, and is vastly superior to all this coffee table jazz you hear in the Top forty these days. Forget Jaime Callum, Sondre Lerche is the genuine jazz pop urchin.