The third full-length from guileless Swedish heartthrob Jens Lekman is chock full of all manner of swingin’ fabulousness. Blue-eyed (and blond-haired) soul, Tropicalia, Smiths-inspired melancholia and bombastic Bacharach-isms all commingle easily, but the bracingly direct lyrics and patchwork production really set Night Falls Over Kortedala apart. Lekman is in touch with his feelings to a degree that borders on exhibitionism, and he’s got no patience for reticence: “Most shy people I know are extremely boring/Either that or they are miserable,” he sings on “It Was A Strange Time In My Life.” Sonically, despite all the classic-pop leanings, Lekman’s heavily sampled digital pastiche has more in common with Dr. Dre than Phil Spector. A few demerits are warranted for pointless and distracting tempo changes in two of the album’s most satisfying songs (“Shirin” and “The Opposite Of Hallelujah”), but otherwise, the off-kilter, kitchen-sink production works well. Contemporaries Stephin Merritt and Stuart Murdoch have more fully digested their influences, but Lekman makes up for his lack of subtlety with sheer exuberance. [www.secretlycanadian.com]
—Bret Tobias
