There was only one point during Sondre Lerche’s set at the 9:30 Club last night that could be classified as flat. However, rather than demonstrate weakness, that single moment — “one of the first decent songs I ever wrote,” in the performer’s own words — highlighted how much Lerche has continued to grow and impress from Faces Down through his new self-titled effort.
Most of the evening was devoted to the new album, and showcased Lerche’s penchant for dramatic guitar and carefully chosen words. With a collection of guitars at his back and years of complex songs at his disposal, Lerche made his way through a set list of old and new with verve.
Lerche bantered playfully with the crowd all evening, joking with a slightly awkward charm. His band for the evening was Kishi Bashi, who opened fantastically as a solo artist, alongside Dave Hartley of fellow openers Nightlands and drummer Dave Heilman. This was a new band for Lerche that, for the most part, seemed to understand each other, though Hartley stood stock still at the back of the stage.
Lerche moved in time with each song he chose, up and down and back and forth, noticeably excited by the opportunity to perform for a living. “Two Way Monologue” offered an opportunity for play, to solo and stride back and forth across the stage as the front row watched intensely. He made connections with each individual and strummed his guitar so hard it seemed either his fingers would bleed or he’d fall over from the effort.
Of the newest album, there were plenty of charmers. “Red Flags” offered a heartfelt new acoustic number, with words plucked carefully from what seemed to be Lerche’s own past. Then there was “Coliseum Town” which, Lerche told the crowd, is about “finding yourself very drunk in the city of Rome and wondering what the hell’s going on.” While it has some funny moments, the song’s tone and pacing (live, at least) managed to make it pensive instead of silly. Go figure.
For an encore, “Faces Down” and “Modern Nature” packed the elements of the entire evening into two songs. The former featured a duet between Lerche and Heilman, which carried the weight and swings of a lifetime between friends. “Modern Nature” offered the total opposite, with Lerche’s female fans gently serenading him like a well-rehearsed choir. It seemed a fitting ending, a push forward towards a new era with a look back all at once.
