Night Falls Over Kortedala

Jens Lekman | Format: MP3 Download

Product Details

• Original Release Date: October 9, 2007
• Release Date: October 9, 2007
• Label: Secretly Canadian
• Copyright: 2007 Secretly Canadian
• Total Length: 50:32
• Genres:
• ASIN: B000X6XHDI
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #64,626 Paid in MP3 Albums (See Top 100 Paid in MP3 Albums)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Jens, My Little Swedish Meatball, October 17, 2007

By 

Brandon Whitfeld "caulfield0" (nyc) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Night Falls Over Kortedala (Audio CD)

Jens Lekman has certainly created a unique persona in the indie world. Shy but smooth: a sensitive Swedish crooner awash in heavy, retro orchestral sampling that has made his newest record, "Night Falls Over Kortedala", a canny Lite FM-ish twinkie that manages to be both ironic and heartfelt. Yea, it's a sugary album. Although the songs occaisonally border on high camp, they never quite cross that uncomfortable line, proving Lekman to be a smart and qwerky maestro, capable of veering easily from tunefully expressing the lustful pangs of true love, debonair as he is, to the darker shadows of introspective longing. Lekman is a successor to Morrissey, in his witty and wounded lyrics, and his wavering falsetto voice. He is also perhaps THE quintessential opening act for a Belle and Sebastian show, but Lekman's fearless studio experiments and definite capabilities as a songwriter hint at something much more interesting and nouveau; his following will surely grow, but I'm hesitant just yet to declare his peak with this album. I think Lekman has a greater masterpiece in him, and I have no doubt we'll hear it soon enough.

Lekman has created a cohesive record that simply sounds great; the songs have excellent flow and smile-inducing production. Vocally, Lekman has never been stronger. But while his previous release, "Oh, You're So Silent Jens" was a bit of a mish-mash, more a casual compilation of songs than a legit album, I enjoyed it more. Stand-out singles worthy of continuous college radio play such as "Maple Leaves" and "I Met Her in an Anti-War Demonstration" and "Black Cab" I found more memorable than any particular track on "Kortedala"--and in that way I find his newest release to be a bit of a letdown, but certainly no disappointment. Just a mixed response. It's a strange reaction, I know, to an artist I truly admire. While I haven't stopped playing the CD, none of the songs have made it to my ipod playlist.

In any case, any one moment on this record is worth six on virtually anything else out there in the indie twee world. Lekman is certainly a singer to watch and savour, and I relish his climb up the Soul Searching Ladder to the Stars.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars so sad, so much in love, October 19, 2007

By 

Warrick Wynne "surfer, writer, reader" (Melbourne, VICTORIA AUSTRALIA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Night Falls Over Kortedala (Audio CD)

Jens Leckman is so in love, with all kinds of people including the girl who cuts his hair, with a first kiss and with idyllic places in the country. He sings beautiful, soft, lush, sometimes funny songs about living and falling in and out of love. The funny thing is that his introspective self-analysis, couched in his deep calming voice, never seems self-indulgent. It's just life.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jens at His Best, November 1, 2007

By 

Marlyece L. Blum "marlyece" (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Night Falls Over Kortedala (Audio CD)

Melancholy sweetness. This cd is true bliss; if you like his other albums you'll love this. A must have for fans of The Smiths, Sufjan Stevens and Andrew Bird.