Phantom Punch

The Norwegian romantic follows through on his promise/threat to toughen his sound by placing his vibrant melodies behind a veneer of modern indie rock.

After diving headfirst with The Faces Down Quartet into jazzy pop on last year's Duper Sessions, Sondre Lerche has downsized his backing band on the Tony Hoffer-produced Phantom Punch. The result is a more contemporary-sounding offering that packs a much bigger, um, punch as it moves Lerche's songs out of the hotel…

Sondre Lerche threw his fans for a loop with his last record, the jazzy, low-key Duper Sessions.

An unabashedly dirty electric guitar riff opens

<p>(Gronland)</p>

Sondre Lerche - Phantom Punch review: Phantom Punch is edgy and aggressive but still refined, cohesive, and catchy.