SONDRE LERCHE, AVATARS OF LOVE

For twenty years, Sondre Lerche has been surprising just about anyone who has been listening to his music, as he takes right and left turns with just about everything that he does. Eleven albums in, Lerche has said that Avatars of Love is without a doubt the biggest, boldest, and most complex thing that he's ever done. I could not agree more.

Part of what makes Avatars of Love so interesting is just how much Lerche allows the songs to become whatever they need to be. While making the album, he began experimenting with a different way of writing, finding melodies that were simple and tuneful but elastic enough to accommodate however many words he wanted to put into them. Songs stretch out, change shape, and move through different arrangements and styles, yet still remain incredibly melodic.

Lerche is one of the best songwriters of his generation, and he has simply never been better than here on Avatars of Love. Clocking in at 85 minutes, this is definitely a sprawling and ambitious album, but it never feels like its length or ambition gets in the way of the songs. There is just so much here to take in.

Avatars of Love is a brilliant album.