… Baby one more time

… Baby one more time

Folksy Americana meets Britney Spears on Norwegian singer-songwriter Sondre Lerche's latest EP

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
… Baby one more time

Over the past few years, LA-based artist Sondre Lerche has made it his own little tradition to cover pop hits from the year that's been as a holiday gift to his fans. His past covers range from Miley Cyrus' Wrecking Ball and Drake's Hotline Bling to Sia's Chandelier and Beyoncé's Countdown. To cap off the end of the decade, Lerche has stepped up his game by essentially pulling a Ryan Adams circa 2015. But, instead of Taylor Swift, it's the former queen of pop, Britney Spears.

Appropriately titled Britney, the EP follows his 2018 record Solo Pleasure, and finds the Norwegian singer-songwriter rummaging through Ms Spears' discography and settling on two of her career-defining ballads plus one of the lesser-known gems from 2007's Blackout. On paper, the concept seems rather straightforward. Do bear in mind, however, that this is the same man who brought us a darkwave rework of Sia's Chandelier and a Norwegian version of Ariana Grande's Thank U, Next, so, suffice to say, we're in for a treat.

The EP opens with its only original composition, Slip Into Character. Inspired by the #freebritney movement, the song is written "in support of emancipation and happiness, within and beyond the spotlight", according to the artist himself. "Slip into something more uncomfortable/ Than all of the above/ Spare the conspiracies/ And your wellbeing for the afterlife," he croons alongside The Silver Lake Chorus, which provides the ethereal backing vocal harmonies.

This segues nicely into an acoustic rendition of Everytime, a collaboration with Philly-based soul/Americana ­producer Adam Arcuragi. Against the sparse, ­country-tinged backdrop, Lerche lets his unadorned vocals shine, capturing the sentiment of the original with ease. Similarly, I'm Not A Girl, Not Yet A Woman gets turned into a serene bluegrass ballad with help from LA-based artist Dominique Arciero and Nickle Creek's Sara Watkins and Sean Watkins.

After two relatively doleful offerings, the EP concludes with a cover of the Pharrell Williams-penned R&B kiss-off Why Should I Be Sad. Linking up with multi-instrumentalist/DJ Wynne Bennett and composer Shruti Kumar, Lerche amplifies the track's empowering message through subdued beats and whispered falsetto. There's no better way to end an EP wholly dedicated to Britney Spears than this.


Quotable lyrics: "Silence your phone/ Turn out the lights/ Stay with me in character tonight/ Convince me that you'll be all right" (Slip Into Character).
Listen to this: Slip Into Character, Everytime, Why Should I Be Sad.

THE PLAYLIST

Vels. / Refraction

Led by vocalist/guitarist Titepong "Turk" Suwanmanee, Chiang Mai's Vels. (short for "vile evil lives") is a supergroup made up of two up-and-coming indie bands, PC 0832/676 and Faharmazy. Together, they've been injecting an edgy math-rock element to their sound since 2018. Preceded by last year's Humane EP, the new single Refraction finds the boys in their meditative mode, musing about the illusion of the past and the only absolute truth that is the present. "In reality, everything turns out to be desire … Everything is just an illusion," Turk sings in a lush falsetto. Here, the lyrics are kept minimal, which allows room for some amazing ad libs on his part, plus an interplay of two angular guitar riffs that takes everything over the finish line.

Cub Sport / Air

Taken from their latest three-track EP 333Air marks Aussie indie outfit Cub Sport's first instrumental offering and their foray into a more electronic sound. As frontman Tim Nelson puts it, the song is meant to "conjure a feeling of deep and healing euphoria", and that's precisely what's happening here. The intro is all about airy synths, setting the tone for other sonic elements like skittering drums and life-affirming beats. Despite the lack of words, Air speaks volumes about the freedom of being yourself, a message that's been an integral part of the band's identity since day one.

Kaytranada (feat. Charlotte Day Wilson) / What You Need

It's been a full three years since the release of Kaytranada's debut album 99.9%. Now the Canadian producer returns with What You Need, a collaboration with soulful singer Charlotte Day Wilson. Lifted from his long-awaited sophomore LP Bubba, the track glides on a sultry groove and sleek percussion rooted in hip-hop, funk and dance -- a massive genre-dabbling Kaytra vibe, if you will. Meanwhile, Wilson goes all in with her feather-light vocals, singing about regret ("I don't know where I went wrong, no, baby/ I know that you'll be the one that got away").

Wild Nothing / Foyer

Before their new EP Laughing Gas drops next month, Jack Tatum and Co serve up their first taste in the form of Foyer, a collaboration with co-producer Jorge Elbrecht, who previously worked with the band on 2018's Indigo. The song sees the Virginia outfit expanding on their dream-pop sound while gravitating more and more toward the wistful 80s electropop production. Like the majority of Wild Nothing's material, Tatum's songwriting remains laconic yet vivid enough to make a lasting impression ("Refill your shopping cart, ice to numb the pain/ Oranges and vitamins, change you cannot take/ View from the vanity, is that you?").

Tame Impala / Posthumous Forgiveness

Posthumous Forgiveness is the fourth single from Tame Impala's fourth studio record, The Slow Rush. Following last year's lead cuts PatienceBorderline and It Might Be Time, the six-minute track is built on languid psychedelic soul instrumentation and Kevin Parker's muddled vocals. "Ever since I was a small boy/ No one else compared to you, no way/ I always thought heroes stay close/ Whenever troubled times arose," the Australian frontman croons about his deceased father, his voice almost drowned out by trippy organ keys and synths. From this point on, the song shifts into a more experimental territory with blaring synths and skittering beats. Singing with more clarity now, he concludes: "There was time to recover/ One-on-one with each other/ Just a boy and a father/ What I'd give for another."

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