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| photo by Tonje Thilesen |
As the release of Norwegian singer/songwriter Sondre Lerche's first ever double album Avatars of Love approaches, the artist's tenth full length studio album, Lerche's choice of singles have revealed a rather eclectic album - from the feat of longform songwriting of "Dead of the Night", the art pop of "Cut", Lerche's latest, a collaboration with Japan's CHAI, finds Lerche returning to the summery Brazil-pop reminiscent stylings that he's most known for. Sonically recalling Pleasure standout "Serenading In The Trenches due in part to drummer Dave Heilman's start-stop snare, Lerche's latest single is a beguiling contender for a song of the summer even as Lerche name-drops each subsequent season - the track is playful both in its interplay between Lerche and Heilman, and Lerche's lightly self-effacing lyrics. Lerche's love songs tend to favor grandeur - easily feeling like they can anchor climatic scenes in a movie romance but here, Lerche's take is a tad-bit more grounded and slightly humorous as he details the mundane - snacking on leftovers from a party, sorting through your tax receipts, as a contrast to the incredibly vibrant feelings of love and infatuation. Those feelings are still very present, mind you, in the technicolor shades of Kato Ådland's programmed string flourishes. "Summer In Reverse" is essentially about expectation - Lerche pines for a love for all seasons not just the freshness of a new love. "We should get together every summer and make each other miserable all Fall, can you only love me in the Summer or never at all?" Lerche asks. And despite the quippy nature of it, it's a sincere ask - can you love me in harsher seasons than the bright, fun-filled summer? Than the first stage of enamoration?
Sondre Lerche's tenth full length studio album, the double album Avatars of Love is out April 1st. You can pre-order the either physical or digital versions of the album now.