Jens Lekman - Night Falls Over Kortedala

When I was 10 years old, I declared Huey Lewis to be the greatest artist of all time. Yes, there is a lot of music out there that we once loved with all our heart, but years later become embarrassed about ever liking. Part of me wonders if that's the way we'll eventually feel about Jens Lekman. The man is oozing indie cred these days, but if we're being completely honest with ourselves, he's not exactly the epitome of rock star cool. His music is schmaltzy and even downright silly at times. But don't you just love it? Yah, me too.

Night Falls Over Kortedala is his second proper release, and it's even more sample heavy than the first album. The first two songs are excellent. The album opens with And I Remember Every Kiss which is as powerful as an opener can be. It starts ever so subtle, with minimal music, as the emphasis is placed on his saccharine baritone, designed specifically to make the ladies swoon. But once the chorus kicks in with full orchestration and strings and he belts out, "But I will never kiss anyone/ who doesn't burn me like the sun / but I remember every kiss/ like my first kiss..." well don't the hairs on the back of your neck just immediately stand to attention. The next song is Sipping On The Sweet Nectar, which samples an orchestral cover of Jimmy Webb's By The Time I Get To Phoenix. I swear that when the song started I was fully expecting to hear a smooth spoken word intro by Barry White. Another website mentioned that the song conjures up images of dancing on The Love Boat. Most. Accurate. Description. Ever. From then on the sweetness starts to get to me a little bit. The songs are probably better on shuffle mixed in with songs by other people rather than one after another. I do think that the album ends strong, with the wacky doo-wop of Kanske Ar Jag Kar I Dig, which apparently is Swedish for Maybe I'm In Love With You; followed by Friday Night At The Drive-In Bingo, which is the happiest sounding song I've probably ever heard. And the big speed-up part towards the end made me laugh out loud. Overall, there is quite a bit of filler but this is still an enjoyable release that makes me smile. I may be embarrassed to admit that someday.

Downloads: The Opposite Of Hallelujah mp3 / Friday Night At The Drive-In Bingo mp3
Video: Sipping On The Sweet Nectar youtube