JENS LEKMAN

"I love you... like a friend."

Oh, what a cruel, soul-crushing kiss-off. In my life, I've always been more karmically-inclined to be on the receiving end of that line. But not today. My apologies, JENS LEKMAN, but a hearty handshake is about all I have to offer. Beyond that... you no touchy-touchy me; I no touchy-touchy you.

Which is a shame, really. Because I DO have something of a crush on Mr. Lekman. Those rich, Aqua-Velva vocals. That lonely-hearted, hip-cat stance. Indie-pop that smells of cigarettes & lounge-leather; tastes of morning-after scotch & cigarettes; sounds like SCOTT WALKER (circa the late-'60s) & STEPHIN MERRRITT (circa 69 LOVE SONGS) & the scratch and hiss of cigarette matches struck in dark, humid rooms by lonelyhearts too hip to do anything but cast a cool shadow.

Ah, the bittersweet ennui... I am powerless to resist it. And I am at a loss to explain my rather detached attachment to Jens Lekman. Methinks it is the songwriting. Mesuspects there is not enough there there. An empty box, attractively wrapped. Nothing more, nothing less. No great shame, but no great shakes. My like but not my love. My hand but not my heart.

From the LP NIGHT FALLS OVER KORTEDALA, 2007 >>>
[MP3] "Friday Night at the Drive-In Bingo"

From the LP OH YOU'RE SO SILENT JENS, 2005 >>>
[MP3] "Black Cab"
[MP3] "Rocky Dennis' Farewell Song to the Blind Girl"

From the LP WHEN I SAID I WANTED TO BE YOUR DOG, 2004 >>>
[MP3] "You Are the Light"