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This unassuming Boy Wonder from Bergen, Norway, (whose name is pronounced"Sonder Lerkay") wrote the songs for what would become his first album,Faces Down, when he was just 16. Often compared to the orchestralpop stylings of such masters as Burt Bacharach, Lerche's music manages tobend string orchestrations into a whole new indie realm, especially with theaddition of his warm and beguiling Scandinavian-accented vocal chords. Aftertouring with Beth Orton (and appearing onstage with boyhood idols A-ha), hereleased his debut in the U.S. to much acclaim -- Rolling Stoneplaced it in their 50 Best Records of 2002. He fulfilled the promise of hisdebut with 2004's Two Way Monologue, a work of lush baroque popfeaturing the High Llamas' Sean O'Hagan, who contributed much of the stringand horn section charms. At age 25, Lerche surprised everyone with his thirdalbum, Duper Sessions, a collection of straight-ahead jazz standards(and a few originals) backed up by the Faces Down Quartet. Like his previousblend of '60s pop, the record is another innovative example of how aNorwegian indie crooner successfully smooches the hand of a cool classicsound. For 2007's Phantom Punch, Sondre Lerche toughened up with a lean, garage rock sound yet his melodic songs still held centerstage.
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