Sondre Lerche was the first artist I listened to that I had actually discovered on my own (rather than being introduced to by my family) and introduced me to alternative, more esoteric types of music. His music still resonates strongly with me today, ten years after becoming a fan, and I’ve made no mistake in still calling him my favorite artist and biggest inspiration after all this time. While I spent this past decade exploring many other artists and genres and becoming a self-described “music enthusiast”, I often revisit Sondre Lerche’s music with what feels like brand new ears, and my opinions on his albums change all the time. I’ve tried to rank his albums time and time again, but this is how I would rank them now in 2024.
I won’t include any of his “side project” type albums or EPs because I don’t hold them to the same standard as his main albums, and none of them would rank higher than any of the main albums—except for the phenomenal Dan in Real Life soundtrack, which comes pretty close to beating some of these albums.
10. Heartbeat Radio (2009)
While Sondre Lerche makes himself known for being a genre-switching, eclectic artist, Heartbeat Radio is the most one-note of all of his albums—but that doesn’t make it bad by any means. Its lush arrangements and bittersweet, uplifting vocals exemplify his great pop sensibilities.
9. Duper Sessions (2006)
Sondre Lerche’s jazz pop album, heavily featuring jazz pianist Eric Halvorsen and some covers of older songs, is certainly not for everyone, but remains a pleasant piece of slightly cheesy pop.
8. Sondre Lerche (2011)
Sondre Lerche’s self-titled album is perhaps his most serious and darkest in tone, with the acoustic guitar at the forefront giving the album a more stripped back, folky, rustic sound, and hints of madness and delirium in the production. Despite having some somewhat unremarkable songs, the album features some very creative songwriting that previewed the experimentation to come.
7. Patience (2020)
While Patience was considered by fans to be the third part of the Please and Pleasure trilogy, in context, it serves more as a prelude to what was to come on Avatars of Love. While Patience pales in comparison to its successor, Sondre Lerche’s shift to a more mature and less poppy sound is very welcome, and the album features some of his most beautiful songwriting.
6. Faces Down (2001)
Faces Down saw the teenaged Sondre Lerche singing of adolescent frustration and heartbreak over surprisingly sophisticated bossa nova-tinged indie pop chord progressions and production. This debut album is both brilliant and brilliantly jarring at times.
5. Please (2014)
Please represents the beginning of a new Sondre Lerche era as he began to experiment with a more avant-garde, eclectic sound and a conceptual, narrative album structure. While its devastating lyrical themes and heartbreaking vocal performances can be either brilliant or overwhelming at times, Please contains many classics of Sondre Lerche’s career and is an album to never forget.
4. Pleasure (2017)
Pleasure sees Sondre Lerche experimenting with electronics and dance music in a more overt way. While not every experiment feels fully formed, this album’s intricate, eclectic production and infectious songwriting is incredibly unique and captures a truly singular moment in his career.
3. Phantom Punch (2007)
While one of the less ambitious albums of Sondre Lerche’s career, Phantom Punch’s harsher rock sound still retains his indie pop and jazz influences under the surface, helping to craft its pure pop perfection. Its emo-pop-esque aesthetic is a nostalgic experience that still holds up.
2. Two Way Monologue (2004)
Two Way Monologue’s lush arrangements, heavily emotional and vivid lyrics, and incredibly catchy choruses easily hint that Sondre Lerche intended to make a more ambitious and polished album than Faces Down--and it also comes across as someone trying to make a masterwork of their entire career. Two Way Monologue’s track list feels carefully crafted, full of strikingly personal moments and production quirks unique to this album.
1. Avatars of Love (2022)
After years of experimenting with different genres, Sondre Lerche perfects his stylistic fusions on a more laid back album with sharp lyricism and brilliantly adventurous song structures. Reminiscent of the concept album Please, Avatars of Love is a conceptual journey from start to finish. The album matches its uplifting, inspiring lyrical meditations on love with lush production and immaculately subtle vocal performances.
