There’s nothing inherently wrong with soft pop. If lyrically interesting and tastefully delivered, bland music can surpass the dull limitations placed on it by the genre. On his sophomore effort, Two Way Monologue,Norwegian songwriter/musician/producer/engineer/wonderboy Sondre Lerche certainly doesn’t press the boundaries of instrumentation and arrangement, but he also isn’t able to create any sense of intimacy. The album comes off as a rehashing of clich?d formulas and represents no real step forward in Lerche’s style.
Lerche’s music immediately brings to mind the work of singer-songwriters of the ‘60s and ‘70s, especially Nick Drake and Tim Buckley, but at certain moments (as the insidious “Wet Ground”) it even digs back to ‘50s vocal harmony styles. Arrangements and orchestration are pure ‘60s wall-of-sound overload. As Lerche’s 2003 Don’t be Shallow EP showed, his music can benefit greatly from stripped-down live performances. Songs such as “Track you Down” and especially the promising title track could have benefited from less imitation of Phil Spector.
This is not to say that the album is ultimately a failure. Quite a few of the songs are catchy and the album, like his Don’t Be Shallow EP, shows Lerche’s potential. His voice is nothing short of angelic and his range allows for the sort of vocal games that he plays on a number of tracks. The album proper opens with “Track you Down,” a particularly jilting track with one of the more unfortunate choruses on the record. “Stupid Memory” is certainly the standout on the album, borrowing noticeably from Americana guitar twang and featuring more sedated orchestration. The aforementioned title track opens well (Lerche’s vocals over a quiet acoustic guitar) but then builds too fast and loses the intimacy that the first section fosters.
This decline, as it turns out, is something of a staple of Two Way Monologue; Lerche’s over-orchestration and seemingly insincere delivery result in a finished album that feels hollow and devoid of feeling. It’s certainly an aurally pleasing album, but it lacks much in the way of emotional weight and, certainly, musical value.
