Seraphina Lotkhamnga on July 4th, 2011

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“We got a lot of catching up to do,” announced Sondre Lerche after he ferociously took the stage and launched head-on into his sharply punctuated new single “Private Caller.” Rejoicing in his return to Los Angeles, the El Rey Theatre on Wednesday quickly transformed into an outsized one-on-one session between the Norwegian artist and the crowd.

The blue-eyed singer, toting around a catalog that now boasts six studio albums, was not one to be shy with his skills. A master for more than a decade at teasing his fans with dramatic pauses, abrupt tempo changes and that half-crooked smile, the 28-year-old wields undeniable charisma and astonishing showmanship. His lyrics may be wry, but the smooth delivery of diverse pop (whether it be rock, bossa nova or folk) had loyal fans swooning.

Playing with a full band, which included members from opening bands Kishi Bashi and Nightlands, Lerche jump-started his set with tunes off of his latest self-titled album. However, he did pull out the title track of the beloved “Two Way Monologue,” and it immediately caused an avalanche of requests for older tunes from his repertoire.

“Don’t get me started,” Lerche warned. “Otherwise, I’ll just play everything for you tonight.” Although the most requested song (“Sleep On Needles”) didn’t make it into the night’s set, he did make an effort to touch on all past albums. Suffice to say this pleased the audience.

Aware of how far he’s come from being a foreign artist to a Brooklyn resident now embraced in the U.S., Lerche also treated his fans to some tender acoustic moments as his nimble fingers offered a slow, intimate version of “Wet Ground” alone in the spotlight. To see him alone on stage brings back memories for longtime Lerche fans. His warm tenor, which effortlessly slides to a falsetto from time to time, is one of the many weapons he’s sharpened over the years.

Lerche might eventually shed his boyish charm as he grows older, but for the moment, it perfectly provided a pleasant juxtaposition to his sophisticated musicianship. In similar fashion, his gentle vocals were a rush while they were cushioned by relentless guitar playing, and his spontaneity on stage was refreshingly surprising when his songs are embellished by such by precise strumming and climactic crescendos and diminuendos.

An encore ensued as Lerche walked back onstage after he and his band had ended with disco-tinted punk-pop tune “Phantom Punch.” “That was an abrupt ending,” he exclaimed. “Let’s try to do some more.” He ended with two songs off his debut, “Faces Down” – “Dead Passengers” and “Modern Nature,” the latter offering the crowd a chance to duet with the man himself. As the entire venue sang Lillian Samdel’s part, the line “This is how it’s meant to be” proved the perfect denouement.

Photos by Carl Pocket