Sondre Lerche

Sondre Lerche toughens up his rock sound after taking a detour to record his songs in the style of Chet Baker. While Lerche's sound here isn't that different from what bands like the Raconteurs go for, he always keeps his tunes at the center of things. Even when he tries on different stylistic hats, going from the thrashy garage rock of "Face the Blood" to the melancholy acoustic folk of "Tragic Mirror," his openness and sincerity shine through. Imagine Beck as the Tin Man discovering he's had a heart all along.