Jens Lekman “Night Falls over Kortedala” (Best of the Decade)
A few years ago I was told by some Swedes about the difference between Stockholm music and Gothenburg music. Apparently the gleaming capital city is home to a cleaner cut, poppier sound (Lykke Li, Peter Bjorn and John, etc.) while the industrial metropolis of Gothenburg produces the country’s more experimental, forward-thinking work. They were both from Gothenburg, of course, and approved of my adulation for one of their hometown’s greatest treasures, Jens Lekman. Since when is Lekman avant garde you might ask? Well, that may be pushing it. However, I am still hard-pressed to find more unique songwriting and harmonies in this decade. Lekman is a starry-eyed romantic, but he conveys his yearnings through bizarre descriptions and situations—a three part tribute to Rocky Dennis, a ballad about his hairdresser, and a song about pretending to be a lesbian’s boyfriend to name only a few. It could all come off as pretty kitschy if not for Lekman’s utter sincerity and fantastic timing, not to mention his unorthodox Jonathan Richman-esque baritone. While his previous work is also pretty stellar (especially the compilation Oh You’re so Silent Jens) for me Lekman’s defining moment came in the fantastic Night Falls over Kortedala. It gets my vote for best songwriting of the oughts, a decade that had some pretty fierce competition.
Glad to see some support of this album. Night Falls is one of the best albums of the decade, without question. His specific style of humor (see “Postcard to Nina”) coupled with the often serious tone of his lyrics makes Jens one of the best songwriters in music today. I got the chance to see him touring in support of this album and he was just as spectacular in that respect as well. Polarizing is the one word that will, for me, forever be synonymous with Jens Lekman, and more specifically “Night Falls Over Kortedala.” His songs can be on par with Flight of the Concords in terms of humor, while also making you feel desperately alone in an ever disparaging world, and it’s this irony that makes Jens a truly memorable musician.
Excellent call, absolutely love this album as well, and thinking back on it I really should have included it in my best of the decade lists we are doing now. The sense of humor mixed with such a great style is truly fantastic, and his songs are just so incredibly well done. To have such humorous undertones and have such fun with these songs in that style and to not have it be in a mocking/jokey way at all is really remarkable. A really smart album. Great choice.