Everyone knows time travel is impossible—the only way to access it is through books or movies (if you didn't read the H.G. Wells classic you surely saw the movie with that dreamy Guy Pearce). However, Norwegian recording artist Sondre Lerche has invented his own time machine in the form of his new album, Duper Sessions, recorded with The Faces Down Quartet.
Though recently released, the album sounds as if it could be 50 or 60 years old—the entire thing is comprised of jazz vocal numbers, staying true to the genre right down to the piano, stand-up bass, breezy percussion and even a nostalgic cover of Night and Day,\ an old Cole Porter tune. Don't be fooled, though: old does not necessarily mean dull.
Unlike a power-pop or straight-up rock 'n' roll album, jazz albums are much harder to immediately get behind. There are no electric guitars or brain-melting drum solos or even peppy hand clapping. What remain are subtle, well-constructed songs ranging from the flight-of-fancy to the romantic to the drowsy. A good idea might be to listen to the first song, ""Everyone's Rooting for You"" and see if it tickles your fancy. One of the more upbeat tracks on the album, it exemplifies the next 13 songs with its syncopated bass, acoustic guitar, playful piano and sincere but wildly schmaltzy lyrics like ""Don't be ridiculous, sweet darling / It's so unlike you to be blue / You had them from the moment you walked in / Everyone's rooting for you.""
If this does not make you want to run for the hills screaming, then you are in for a treat. The next song, ""Minor Detail,"" is a slower but equally enjoyable tune. The rhythm can't help but summon images of a gondola slowly making its way through Venice at dusk; the lyrics are solemn but intelligent (""It's the major minor detail / It's the solitary sequel / To never know anything at all"") while Lerche's voice, as lush as it is powerful, effortlessly lulls the listener into his contemplation of melancholic longing.
The rest of the album follows in this vein: ""The Curse of Being In Love"" is an adorably sappy three-minute string-heavy song ironically celebrating the inescapable ""curse"" of love, ""Once In A While"" is a lighthearted look at the ups-and-downs of a relationship and ""You Knocked Me Off My Feet"" is a beautiful moment in which Lerche seduces his listener with his sultry piano and saccharine lines like ""Never thought of Heaven as a relevant spot ... [but] Heaven is from where you have come / Now I know.""
All said, Lerche has created a masterful piece of work with Duper Sessions—a strong album brimming with talent. It might be the same talent as Chet Baker's, but isn't imitation the highest form of flattery?
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