Customer Reviews
Great CD 
2006-11-06
This is a great CD, excellent "easy listening" (in a good way) jazz-pop music. A great work by Sondre Lerche. I am looking forward to his next CD.
Sondre Strikes Gold Again 
2006-03-31
Having been a huge fan of Sondre Lerche's previous two LPs, I was admittedly a little skeptical when I heard that he was taking his music in a slightly different direction. However, after listening to Duper Sessions, I could not be more pleased with his new venture into jazz territory.
"Minor Detail" is simply one of the finest songs he has recorded. But what might be most interesting about this recording is that it may also be his most upbeat to date. There are plenty of uptempo songs including "The Curse of Being in Love," "Everyone's Rooting for You," and "Human Hands" that help give the CD its breezy tone.
I am in complete agreement with the prior reviewer that claimed Sondre is one of the most prolific artists of his generation. Yet, currently he may also be one of the most underappreciated artists as well. However, as long as he keeps turning out wonderful recordings like Duper Sessions, he shouldn't stay underappreciated for long.
Norway Cool 2006-03-30
Sondre Lerche's "Duper Sessions" is theeee coolest thing to come out of Norway since Kings of Convenience!
I was a fan of Sondre's first two albums, which were more traditional singer/songwriter/folky rock. This one though is straight-up jazz vocals.
The music swings nicely. The backing band is very "cool". This album has Euro-Hipster written all over it. It sounds like it could have been recorded during the 1960's hipster craze, but without ever being cheesey.
It is difficult to write new, modern jazz songs in the Singer/Standards format. Sondre wrote all but two of the songs, and they are all quite good. There are a couple songs that I found a little slow/dull, but nearly everything else is great.
I am sure Sondre's old fans will still like this "new" sound. I'm sure he'll make some new fans too with the Duper Sessions. Do NOT sleep on this album. Highly recommended.
Effortlessly flabbergasting 2006-03-26
Many have called Norwegian musician Sondre Lerche's past albums, "Faces Down" and "Two Way Monologue", 'Jazz-inflected Pop'. So it is that they should be crooning his latest effort as 'Pop-inflected Jazz'.
Lerche is known for his playfully melancholic tunes and lyrics. On most of the tracks for "Duper Sessions" the lad pretty much strips away the melancholy and dives deep down into the playful . And OH! what a breezy ride it is...
The opening track "Everyone's Rooting For You" comes in with such a confidence and will with it's giddy piano and twanging bass, giving you an grand overview of what's in store; An album full of love and life.
"(I Wanna)Call It Love" is a joyous, yet honest and realistic declaration, while "You Sure Look Swell" sounds exactly like something teens would slow-dance to back in 1958.
Lerche, along with pianist Erik Halvorsen, guitarist Kato Adland, bassist Morten Skage and drummer Ole Kruger, has created ten delightful and slightly philosophical tunes that digest easily and are just itching to be replayed.
In addition there are four grand cover tunes; Cole Porter's "Night And Day" (A Lerche live favorite) Elvis Costello's "Human Hands", Paddy McAloon's "Nightengales" and a hidden track entitled "Lulu-vise", which is supposedly a Norwegian children song from the 80's. This last one is a quick fun gem where Lerche sings in his native Norwegian (Which almost sounds like skit- scatting) something he has never done before.
"Duper Sessions" proves, once again, that Sondre Lerche is one of the greatest musicians working in the field today. And one of the busiest... look for a fourth, more rockin' record to be released later this year.
Simply one of the greatest artists out there today - a Norwegian wonder!!! 2006-03-24
Sondre Lerche continues to amaze with each new release. This CD takes the jazzy tone of his previous two full-length albums to an extreme - and it tops them both.
The CD cover, designed to look something like an old Blue Note album, gives a strong indication what you are getting into before you even hear the first note.
The jumpy piano intro to "Everyone's Rooting For You" sets the jazzy tone of the album from the start, and after that you in for quite a pleasant ride. "Minor Detail" contains some great word play, and "You Sure Look Swell" sounds like a song that's been around for years.
Those who have seen Lerche in concert before have probably already heard him perform Cole Porter's "Night and Day." This version is quite similar to his live version. It's great to finally have this on record.
Lerche frequently talks about how much both Elvis Costello and Steely Dan have influenced his music, and their influence is quite obvious on this album. (As well as his other two full-lenght records) One key difference is that Lerche's work is never quite as dark as either Costello or Steely Dan - and he does this without sounding cheesy or daft, which is probably one of the hardest tricks to pull of in music.
And given his output so far - an album in 2002, an E.P. in 2003, an album in 2004, a jazz album already this year, and a rock record to follow soon, Lerche is quickly becoming one of the most prolific artists of his generation - something he shares with Costello. (Not to mention the versatility in style they also share)
Great Album ... again 2006-03-24
An extremely young Norwegian-born singer-songwriter-guitarist-bandleader, Lerche has already exhibited a remarkably strong flair for sophisticated pop composition and a talent for witty lyrics. But by moving his previous preference for judiciously applied jazz inflections into the forefront, making the condiment into the main course, so to speak, he risks stepping into some awfully big shoes. His pleasantly reedy tenor voice sometimes surprises with distant, disembodied echoes of Mel Tormé or even a Chet Baker-esque croon around the edges and his aplomb as an instrumentalist remains notable. However, even though jazz is no longer strictly about geography, like many artists who did not grow up within the roots system, Lerche seems to approaching it from the outside in. Even so, the band is tight and despite a prevailing rhythmic stiffness, there is clearly a wryly playful musical intellect at work here. Maybe all Lerche really needs is time. Seasoning comes when it will and despite his many gifts, he simply hasn't yet lived nearly long or hard enough to adequately interpret a Cole Porter tune like "Night And Day." --
Christina Roden
