Why I Oughtta

It may not be currently in the works, but if a Hollywood studio ever wants to create a modern reboot of The Rat Pack, Sondre Lerche is a shoe-in.

Between his blue eyes, his smooth voice and his gentlemanly demeanor, the 27-year-old Norwegian proves that he possesses the classic charm of generations past on “Heartbeat Radio.” He even provides a cheeky acknowledgement of his charms by comparing himself to failed one-time James Bond portrayer George Lazenby.

Lerche’s fifth studio album is a familiar cocktail of jazzy flourishes, robust string accompaniment and pop melodies. Songs like the breezy “Almighty Moon” and “Easy to Persuade” typify his musical aesthetic – Lerche sings his lyrics with a wink on top of relaxed acoustic guitar strumming and an unhurried drumbeat.

“You be words/ And I’ll be music/ Ain’t you heard that’s how to do it/ You’re a poem when you’re on your own,” Lerche sings on “Words and Music,” as if he were addressing an audience full of platinum blondes holding martini glasses.

While “Heartbeat Radio” is an easy album to like, there’s nothing particularly exciting about the outing. Lerche is a prolific songwriter as well as a deft musician and song craftsman, but all of the record’s pleasantries and charm often come at the expense of emotional impact.

Attributing the phrase “background music” to Lerche’s style seems like a disservice to such carefully rendered music, but Lerche’s endearing tenor and polished arrangements allow for passive listening.

Still, while “Heartbeat Radio” may not be a life-changing album, it remains a consistent and well executed endeavor. Lerche’s modern take on the debonair songsmith always provides for a reliably pleasant listen.

Washington Post article on Erin McKeown.

On Tilly and the Wall.

Decent, but not my best.

My fancy article on The Internationalist — a Weekend Pass cover story.

My article about Los Campesinos! in The Washington Post.

My Washington Post debut!

• I wrote this thing about The Brothers Size — a play at the Studio Theater.
• And this about The K of D at Woolly Mammoth.

This blog may be neglected, but it’s not like I’m not busy.

1. I interviewed Nellie McKay for Express (Weekend Pass cover story!). Click here if you wanna read it.
2. The Go! Team are featured in Pitchfork’s Guest List.
3. Hey kid lit people, here’s a new blog called Chicken Spaghetti.
4. PJ Harvey talks about her new album.
5. Tim Hardaway, bless his heart, wants to become an LGBT youth advocate.
6. Caribou Coffee raised its prices. This is not pleasing, as there is a friendly Caribou Coffee near my new job.

I’ve been worried about this prolonged cutesy phase I’ve been going through — the constant checks of Cute Overload, the twee pop, the pangs to raise multi-ethnic babies.

To cope with this issue and to parody it, I’ve created a new blog that will likely not be sustainable. But here it is.  One week’s worth, at least.

It’s called Oh My God I’m Turning Into Hello Kitty.

1. My article on Doubt, now playing at the National Theatre, is up on the WP Express Web site.
2. Stickles found an awesome picture of Jon Stewart. Three guesses as to why she was doing that.
3. Barbara Boxer is my new girlfriend. And how big of a dick is Inhofe?
4. Weeee!!!! You can download the SXSW performance by The Pipettes here.
5. I linked to this a long time ago, but it’s been updated a bunch. Kori from Mates of State is keeping this baby tour blog on babble.com. It’s pretty insightful as to what life on the road is like when you’ve got a wee blonde babe in tow.