Jens Lekman- Night Falls Over Kortedala

!!!

(it better be this good, or else I'll be very sad...I love Jens)

http://assets3.pitchforkmedia.com/images/image/34151.SC160.jpg?

i am totally in love with this.

JORDAN SARGENT IN INDIE ALBUM WUV SHOCKA

but srsly, i'm downloading this now..

JORDAN SARGENT IN INDIE ALBUM WUV SHOCKA

idk if that's sarcasm or not, but i do like a lot of, ahem, "indie."

This is great so far...Those orchestral bursts on the first track...man, they're actually spine-tingling.

I assume these songs are about being a lovely person but, alas, not getting any sex?

Chix love this dude.

are there fewer jokes? i can't take his jokey lyrics.

there are some jokes, but idk if it's more or less in relation to his other stuff. to be honest, this thing is so sonically beautiful and pristine that i haven't even gotten around to paying attention to/delving into the lyrics just yet.

is it better than the last montt mardie record?

this guy is is annoying.
can't stand his voice and the attempt for "cute" pastiche.

u mean shit like this:
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j171/mdanielwalter/jens3thm.jpg
http://imemine.blogg.se/images/jens_lekman_pic_1149109754.jpg

LOL

The above pictures are pretty bad, but Jens is a standup dude. When I saw him he played his whole set, extended that, and did an encore, and then offered to continue playing outside to whoever wanted to to stay, which he certainly did. I like his music quite a bit even in spite of distancing myself from errr, indie wuv.

Still. Dude's a bit of a spanner.

after listening to the first 3 songs I think this album is a little too fruity. the new caribou wasn't that great either.

I've listened to this a bit now. I should have known what I was getting myself into ;_;

Think I'll just stick with Stephin Merritt from now on. kthx.

are those tears?

soz, to clear up, i meant this: http://www.clipartof.com/images/xsmall/2214.gif

It's good but no where near as good as you made it out to be (and using the same riff as John Mayer = major ;_;)...FS/LS still in the lead.

I get that he's like a twee ponce or whatever, but I still really hate his vocals on this album. He's either trying to be Moz or Merritt way too hard.

It's jus not for me i guess.

listening to john mayer= major ;_;, but whatever.

are we comparing every album to FS/LS now? why don't we start a thread called "Tape Store TS: FutureSex/LoveSounds vs. Album X"? every good song on that album is a single, anyway.

jens has always been pretty love/hate. you have to have a pretty high tolerance for woe is me stuff and really self-referential lyrics and anecdotal songs.

that being said, (as i've already stated) i find the arrangements on the album to be nearly perfect for a modern classic pop album. but then again, i do also love jens as a songwriter/lyricist.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b361/tapestore/helgap.gif
Jens Lekman- Night Falls Over Kortedala
this leaked a few days ago. best pop album of the past 2-3 years, i think. a totally immersible album with pristine production. everything from the pianos, horns, keys, drums, etc. sounds absolutely perfect and it all gets plenty of room to breathe

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b361/tapestore/hn.gif
but then again, i do also love jens as a songwriter/lyricist. the man is a virtuoso in every sense of the word.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b361/tapestore/helga.gif
are we comparing every album to FS/LS now? why don't we start a thread called "Tape Store TS: FutureSex/LoveSounds vs. Album X"? every good song on that album is a single, anyway.

A+++++++++++++++++++

http://www.geocities.com/kirstz22/hheart.gif
!!!

(it better be this good, or else I'll be very sad...I love Jens)

-- Tape Store, Tuesday, August 14, 2007 1:18 AM (3 days ago) Bookmark Link

http://www.geocities.com/kirstz22/cecil.gif
It's good but no where near as good as you made it out to be (and using the same riff as John Mayer = major ;_;)...FS/LS still in the lead.

-- Tape Store, Friday, August 17, 2007 3:59 AM (52 minutes ago) Bookmark Link

http://www.gay.hr/web/smilies/goal.gif

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j171/mdanielwalter/jens3thm.jpg

it's just so cute! and the production on "kanske ar jag kar i dig" is fucking beautiful!

"Your Arms Around Me" is gorgeous, as is the rest.

Great record. Sinking in day by day.

1/4 great, 3/4 filler.

I'm liking his cover of Arthur Russell's "A Little Lost"

1/4 great, 3/4 filler.

Which 1/4?

this album is a dissapointment. too flowery. just like the new caribou. i prefer the original 'a little lost' but the youtube video for it is excellent.

the first track is totally ripping off scott walker's montague terrace (in blue). enough said

1/4 great, 3/4 filler

I prefer 12/8

i think it's more barry manilow than scott walker. i quite like it.

<i>I prefer 12/8</i>

Carter Beauford on the drums! Carter Beauford on the drums!

this album is a dissapointment. too flowery

Isn't this like accusing Morrissey of being too morose?

after listening to the first 3 songs I think this album is a little too fruity. the new caribou wasn't that great either.

-- CaptainLorax, Tuesday, August 14, 2007 7:25 PM (3 weeks ago)

this album is a dissapointment. too flowery. just like the new caribou. i prefer the original 'a little lost' but the youtube video for it is excellent.

-- CaptainLorax, Sunday, September 9, 2007 7:03 AM (Yesterday)

Thank you for your valuable input, Captain Redundant.

From the Caribou-Andorra thread:
After the first 1 & 1/2 listens to Andorra, I don't like this album at all. Too flowery for me and I like belle and sebastian.
This reminds me of what happened to the latest jens lekman album.

-- CaptainLorax, Tuesday, August 28, 2007 7:30 AM (2 weeks ago) Bookmark Link

Hahaha

can lorax start a blog where he rates everything in terms of floweriness?

The great 1/4 is, froom what I recall, "Shirin", "Drive-In Bingo" and "Postcard to Nina".

ok, i don't mind this now.

Can't remember what its called but the one that sounds like the Smiths with disco strings is kick-ass

the new "maple leaves" is perfect in its own way i made peace with its existence before the second verse

"the cherry trees in blossom" is maybe the best thing here, easily the best version of that song & the new lyrics posing it as a sequel to the original "julie" are a nice touch

https://boomkat.com/products/the-linden-trees-are-still-in-blossom

reworked Night Falls Over Kortedala out in two weeks too!

it has 6 tracks added on the end:
Your Beat Kicks Back Like Death - Scout Niblett cover for a compilation
Our Last Swim in the Ocean - demo included on pre-order bonus EP Kalendervägen 113.D
A Little Lost - Arthur Russell cover for a compilation
Radio NRJ - B-side to "Friday Night at the Drive-In Bingo"
The Linden Trees Are Still In Blossom - probably a sequel track like "The Cherry Trees Are Still In Blossom" but I don't think there's an obvious lyrical link
When I'm Swimming - no idea what this is either

Finally a streamable version of “I saw her in the anti war demonstration” I love that song, can’t really hear a difference on this version and the original one, but it’s been years since I last heard it.

No idea why he didn’t become one of the most important and popular figures in indie pop/rock. There’s so many brilliant songs in here.

"i saw her in the anti-war demonstration" is one that i'm not sure has been changed or re-recorded at all

it seems like he probably was pretty well-positioned to reach a higher level of success after night falls over kortedala but that didn't eventuate due to him taking 5 years to release i know what love isn't, which got a relatively underwhelming reception. he's also just been not very prolific in terms of actual albums since nfok. his output is a bit higher if you look at all the other weird little project he's done like postcards, but it's still not that substantial.

& he still puts out a bunch of stuff in weird ways that ensures that no one except the true heads ever hear it. looking at his website just now i found this wonderful 8 minute track he put out in 2019 exclusively as an mp3 download there.

http://jenslekman.com/IWantToBeInvaded.html

there's all sorts of other stuff... "wwjd" and "i remember" which were exclusive to a mix he made on soundcloud... he really needs to put out a rarities comp!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyQIen0MRSU

still love "wwjd"

probably prefer the old “maple leaves,” but i kinda like how the new version removes a lot of the things that stamp it firmly in 2004, including that breakbeat and the choral samples

"i want to be invaded" is really so good how does he let something like that just be a throwaway on his website!

guh these self-covers/remakes are SO disappointingly sweet
reminds me of why i haven't been much interested in lekman's music in the past decade

too much light and glint and prettiness, ugh - the special of the old stuff was partly the dust and grit

this is on u.s. spotify now too

i'm just starting to listen to it but i'm inclined to agree with sean gramophone. i lost interest with jens bc his songs got so sappy and produced and arranged.

i don't hate this new maple leaves but it really feels like a cover, it's so reverential and slow

https://www.stereogum.com/2184655/jens-lekman-re-recording-classic-albums/interviews/qa/

interview here, he confirms nfok was indeed taken down due to legal issues with samples. also has two new albums in progress and one will be finished 'soon by his standards' so hopefully in the next year or so...?

Gotta agree with sean, I thought most of these sounded “too clean”. They’re still awesome songs but they sound even amateurish with this antiseptic treatment.

“I saw her in the antiwar demonstration” sounded pretty good to me, but maybe that one didn’t get changed? The last part did sounded different to my ears, but again it’s been awhile since I played the original songs.

Ok just compared it to the original version from a yt video from 4 years ago and it’s definitely the old version. That’s why that one sounded particularly good to my ears.

the linden trees are still in blossom is more like what i expected from this project, still very much the original album just a lot of the samples have been replaced with new overdubs. some stuff doesn't quite work or he wasn't able to recreate it properly, like the "sipping on the sweet nectar" instrumental break. biggest change is "kanske ar jag kar i dig" which has a new extended intro

obviously inferior to the original but a suitable replacement at least, works better than the more inconsistent approach of the cherry trees.

night falls over kortedala really is probably the absolute best indie pop album there is though

new fully-arranged version of "our last swim in the ocean" is lovely, it's the most essential from the bonus tracks. "when i'm swimming" was previously unreleased in any form as far as i know and it's quite nice too.

"the linden trees are still in blossom" is a "postcard to nina" sequel but unlike the "julie" sequel the new arrangement isn't revelatory

would have been nice to include some more of his other rarities from the era like the "opposite of hallejulah" b-sides

what is it with the samples suddenly? is anything else that has flown under the radar this long getting busted now?

i have no idea how he got away with it on this album for this long, but he did claim to have cleared some of the samples on it originally and that the rest were just recreations with session musicians (that part was obviously a lie)

but judging by what's been changed here he sure sampled a ton of uncleared stuff, much more than you can find listed on whosampled or anything

also not sure how he hasn't run into trouble over when i said i wanted to be your dog at all either, he was asked about that in a recent interview and said he couldn't answer

creative sentencing. he's agreed to be the rightsholders' dog.

just heard the new "Black Cab" and sorry guys, it sounds like it's for a detergent commercial now :/ (people who are like what's wrong w that shuuuut up)

Ew! Still cute but definitely worse

saw him last night in williamsburg. beautiful show. performed with a youth orchestra and created some beautiful arrangements of his classics. the stage banter was very funny. for the encore, he brought out the tracks for some of his more danceable songs, and while i’m happy he wasn’t using them for the whole show, it worked at the end.

the crowd was super super polite, for the most part. i was singing along a bit til i felt embarrassed cause i was the only one lol

He's apparently playing everywhere with youth orchestras on this tour.

Pretty bummed out about this new "Black Cab"

the old one is still around...

i love the new “black cab.” i love the clean guitar lines and the depth of his voice, texturally it feels new in a way that really works for me

yep, still hate nu-"Black Cab"

oh no goddamn

https://www.jenslekman.com/records/smalltalk.htm

he's been updating his blog for the first time in 4 years and it very much sounds like a new album is finally coming later this year

Finally! It has been too long.

New album, Songs For Other People’s Weddings, due out on Sept 12.

https://www.stereogum.com/2314673/jens-lekman-teams-with-nick-and-norahs-infinite-playlist-author-for-new-novel-and-album-songs-for-other-peoples-weddings/music/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCAAPCqXB5g

the verse is really prefab sprout except it's in 7/8 or something? great to have him back

01 The First Lovesong
02 A Tuxedo Sewn for Two
03 Candy From a Stranger
04 Two Little Pigs [ft. Matilda Sargren]
05 Speak to Me in Music
06 With You I Can Hear My Own Voice
07 I Want to Want You Again [ft. Matilda Sargren and Peter Oren]
08 GOT-JFK
09 Wedding in Brooklyn
10 For Skye
11 Increasingly Obsolete
12 On a Pier, on the Hudson [ft. Matilda Sargren]
13 Wedding in Leipzig
14 LEJ-GOT
15 You Have One New Message [ft. Matilda Sargren]
16 Just for One Moment
17 The Last Lovesong

17 tracks! he's been busy!

this thread reminded me that everyone really should check out "i want to be invaded", the 8 minute single he released only on his website to zero fanfare in 2019, it's really wonderful

https://www.jenslekman.com/IWantToBeInvaded.html

he also played a bunch of new songs on tour in 2022 that i wasn't aware of and none of them seem to be on this album? one of them is "a taste of cherry". i guess that fits with him talking about having two new albums in the works a few years ago

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZ3WiNSnQaI

"a taste of cherry" is at ~6:48 in that

This is just the best news.

You're not wrong about the Prefab Sprout influence on the single ufo. I always thought some of I Know What Love Isn't had touches of Sprout too, especially Erica America. It's a wonderful song and I cannot wait for the album.

Blown away by the new album. I haven't returned to Life Will See You Now that much, but this is everything I love about him on one album. So many of his most beautiful songs here.

Just realising this might be his Jordan: The Comeback

there's a lot to love here but the pacing is a bit off, the first half drags a bit with a lot of slower songs all in a row and is maybe a bit overly twee, but from "wedding in brooklyn" onward is all fantastic and some of his very best work. "increasingly obsolete" is my favourite

jordan: the comeback is a very good comparison yeah, both in scope & sound (at least in places)

i'm not sure the narrative really does much for me though and it's not a lyrical approach that really plays to his strengths. if anything the lyrics feel strangely irrelevant to these songs

it's just not a compelling narrative, but the lyrics don't really hold up very well without that context either. he's leaning into all his clunkiest metaphors but not in an endearing way and everything feels overwritten

it's quite a contrast with the music which is largely up with his very best work

it turns out the book comes with its own set of songs that are not the ones on the album? what an odd project

Yes, the ones that come with the book are way more stripped down. I like that approach much better TBH!

David and Jens did a very intimate book reading here in Hoboken and Jens explained that after writing the "soundtrack" that goes with the book he was compelled to write a proper album, too. I wish he titled it a little differently though cause it's confusing in that respect.

yeah i just read a bunch of interviews and so the songs that come with the book are apparently ones written in character for the fictional weddings in the book, which he originally planned to be the album but changed his mind as he thought it would make for a weird album. instead the album ended up being a kind of adaptation of the book, but one that's focused on what happens in between the book chapters, which probably helps to explain why it doesn't really work as a narrative on its own?

Yeah I can't really speak to whether it works on its own imo yet but possibly I could see how the lack of context could hurt it.

How nice it is to hear classic Jens!