Top 50 Albums of the 00s - #17: Jens Lekman - Oh You're So Silent, Jens

Yep, we're counting down the top 50. Click here for overview and criteria.

Well, I must admit I made a mistake. It's not the first one I've made in this process, but underestimating albums on this list is a very reconcilable problem. I just bump them up and get to them later. Overestimating, on the other hand, leaves you no outs. We're all the way up to #17, so I can't just grab some replacement album that didn't make it. And it's not like this album deserves the boot, either. Let me explain what happened.

There are a few albums that merit placement on this list based on one song alone, though the rest of the album can't be garbage. Hence Hard-Fi doesn't get in on the strength of "Cash Machine." When I put my overall list together, I was very torn between Jens Lekman's second and third releases, knowing I loved them both for various reasons. Well I should have committed right at the beginning. Between their best tracks is one amazing record and then another one that would be so-so. Individually, I must admit that Oh You're So Silent Jens should be slightly lower on our list. But we're still talking Top 30 for sure. I'm being too hard on myself. Enough with the apologies, let's get to the praise.

When I saw Jens Lekman perform he mentioned that he has a problem telling stores. When he recounts sad tales, they come out funny, and when he tries to tell a humorous anectode, it comes out sad. I don't know on which side of this quandary the album opener, "At the Department of Forgotten Songs" is supposed to reside. It's clearly meant to be sad, but so calm it's comforting. Either way, it's not exactly a way to burst out of the gates on a record. But our patience will pay off.

Things proceed peacefully until we get to "Pocketful of Money." This is the song that brought Jens to my attention. I can't remember where or when or how it was that I came across it. The song seems overly simple at first, but then, out of nowhere a brilliantly placed sample of Beat Happening's Calvin Johnson crashes in, and the song has our complete attention. Suddenly you are moving to the beat and what seemed like a light pop tune reveals a bedrock of real soul. The song exemplifies how one arrives at Lekman's music on the whole. At first, there's no real reason to be interested. But quite quickly, Jens wins you over completely. Listening to his records, there's no way you can't like this guy. Seeing him live will only cement your attention.

Technically this isn't an album. It's a collection of songs that Lekman had available to make an album-length release. But you wouldn't really know it. The tracks flow into one another and seem to have been recorded in the same session. Some are better than others, but they work together to occupy a unique space in music today. There's nobody else in the Top 50 that I could compare to Lekman. His style is his own, or at least he does it much better than anybody else.

I mentioned that sometimes one fantastic song is enough to consecrate an album, and that's absolutely the case here. "Black Cab" is one of those songs. The lyrics are inherently dejected, but instead of being goofy or funny, Jens has turned his misery in to pure sweetness. Like an adorable puppy that just needs a good home, you can't help but take the tune with you. It is perhaps the most perfectly crafted pop song I know. Check the video below and tell me you don't adore it. I know I'll be keeping it with me for the rest of my life. You know what? This song is so damn good that Jens deserves #17. Besides, the rest of the record is really solid. I rescind all previous apologies. Give these a spin and tell me I'm right...






Previous Entries:
#18 - Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
#19 - Band of Horses - Everything All the Time
#20 - The Lawrence Arms - Oh! Calcutta!
#21 - Amy Winehouse - Back to Black
#22 - Mission of Burma - The Obliterati
#23 - Don Caballero - World Class Listening Problem
#24 - The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
#25 - Tapes 'n Tapes - The Loon
#26 - Kings of Leon - Aha Shake Heartbreak
#27 - Idlewild - 100 Broken Windows

Unyielding Commissioning Braids Its Hair

The Bloom is Off - The new GNR album, Chinese Democracy arrives exclusively at Best Buy on November 23rd. However, you can listen to the first single, also titled "Chinese Democracy" right now! Just click here. Didja listen? What did you think? It's better than anything by The Darkness. Is that a compliment? Honestly, I thought it was way better than I expected. That's right. It was mediocre. Greg Kot agrees, but isn't as nice about it. At least it reminds me of Klosterman's hilarious review (note the date, please). That's gotta count for something, right?

Top o the Topps - Levi Stubbs, the lead voice behind legendary Motown group The For Topps passed away the other day. They were probably never in my personal, principal tier for Motown work, but they definitely led the second. I could go on, but Dan said it way better than I could hope to, so check out his writeup while I go listen to "Bernadette" for the 17th time today.

Ridin' Around Town like Mike Gravel - Jens Lekman sings his song "Black Cab" in the back of an actual black cab. And the only instrumental backing is one of those thumb pianos.

Walkin' Around the Park like Mike Gravel - The Verve's latest video from their album Forth is kind of boring. At least it matches the song. Yet, I link anyway! Check it out.

Leaving The Lights On Tonight - Also, here's Eric from Scene Stealers' Top Ten Scariest Movie Themes.

Jens Lekman @ The Logan Square Auditorium

I can’t remember what I thought the very first time I heard Jens Lekman’s music. I do know that soon after, I caught his set at the Pitchfork Music festival. I’m now fairly certain that it enabled full appreciation of his songs, and the likely reason I became such a fan. Lekman’s music is often cheeky or unabashedly syrupy. Those are rarely qualities that appeal to me, but somehow, he’s excepted. To the good fortune of all in attendance on a gusty Monday evening, every one of his tunes is better in person.

Jens began by saying, “Tonight feels special. So please don’t film the show. Let’s just let this be for us.” This is probably the best way to ask for this, and the crowd responded with blank stares. Silence means consent, I guess. We can check Youtube later to see if anyone violated the honor code, though it appeared all were good little soldiers and just enjoying themselves.Minor technical difficulties hamstrung the first song, but things got rolling from there. Jens has a hilarious deadpan he delivers in a delightful way, telling stories of where certain songs came from and interesting details about living in Sweden. A show where he just talks about stuff even if there was no music would still be worthwhile. When two local brass players joined in, Jens declared “We just found these two guys on the street.” The height of banter came during the extended intro to “A Postcard to Nina.”

Of course the music is fun as hell in its own right. His voice is far better live than on the albums. Like all great acts, he is somehow more emotive and personal. With the entire band alternating between smiling and grinning, the audience couldn’t help but reflect the same expression. Transitions in songs featured group boy-band dance moves worthy of Chica-go-go. Within songs, Jens was unafraid of going off-script to break things down or mix things up or extend the endings.Always gracious, Jens came across like an old friend who’s happy to see you. The crowd responded in kind. In his final song, “Friday Night at the Drive-in Bingo,” he ended his last note with a happy giggle, which kind of sums up the evening perfectly. The show could have been a bit longer, and I would have loved to hear “Pocket Full of Money” and “Kanske Ar Jag Kar I Dig”, but those are minor complaints. I’d go see Jens again no matter where or when he’s playing.

Setlist:
I’m Leaving You Because I Don’t Love You
The Opposite of Hallelujah
Black Cab
It Was a Strange Time in My Life
You Put Your Arms Around Me
New Directions (new song)
You Are the Light
A Postcard to Nina
Maple Leaves
Sipping On the Sweet Nectar
Shirin
A Sweet Summer’s Night on Hammer Hill
Friday Night at the Drive-in Bingo

In case you want to know more, Jens played an acoustic show in Istanbul on Valentine’s Day, and has it up on his website. Check it out here.

The first opener, Marla Hansen played poppy folky music, somewhat reminiscent of Andrew Bird. She sang while playing pizzicato violin to back her up. The second act, The Honeydrips, gave a unique “performance.” The band consisted of one dude who hit play on his I-mac, and sang along at times. He told jokes like, “We’re the Honeydrips,” and held Lekman’s guitar merely as a prop. He looked to be suffering from PTSD. I couldn’t tell if he was insulting us or not. Some of the crowd was getting into it, dancing and clapping along, but it was the most vacant performance I’ve ever seen. He basically looked like this the entire time:

Unyielding Commissioning Approves This Message

Because a car wash is so passé Sorry you missed Andrew Bird at The Hideout for his tuneup show last year? Well February 28th is your chance to do a make good at the city's most intimate venue. Odds are he'll be playing some new tunes, too. But it's going to cost you. Tickets are 100 bucks a pop. Whaaaa? Before you judge Bird as a money-grubbing capitalist, you should know that the show is a fundraiser for Barack Obama. We here at FtY would love to see Bird again, especially in such close confines, but the whole lack of steady income and busted knee thing combine to keep us home for this one. If you're so inclined, sign up and bring your credit card.

A long walk Tapes 'n Tapes have officially announced their new album. Walk it Off comes out on April 8th, which is a helluva long time to wait. Fortunately, their 2006 release The Loon only gets better with ages, so consider us satiated until then. The first single, "Hang Them All," has hit the internets. Stereogum not only has more info, but actually has the song available for your perusal. It's far less rockin' then when they performed it last summer, but still sounds great. A recent Pitchfork interview with frontman Josh Grier gives more reason for optimism. They play Metro with White Denim (v'nice!) on April 11. Tix go on sale Saturday. Count us in.

It's pronounced Yens Speaking of tickets and shows and the like, we have an extra one for Jens Lekman at the Logan Square Theater on 3/31. So if you like Jens and want to go, let us know. The show is not sold out yet, but probably will be by kickoff or gametime or whatever parlance of our time you prefer.