September 12, 2007 聽文

Jens Lekman
Night Falls Over Kortedala
Label:Service/Secretly Canadian︱2007

來自瑞典的singer-songwriter Jens Lekman於本年推出個人的第三張大碟【Night Falls Over Kortedala】，動聽得無話可說，音樂的豐富出色讓人想起Sufjen Stevens 2005年的漂亮一役【Illinoise】，2007年的唱片榜中必定打入前十位的一張出色專輯。

【Night Falls Over Kortedala】擁有在大量Chamber Music的樂器，長笛單簧管喇叭木琴應有應有盡有，伴以輕快快活的瑞典陽光節奏氣氛及美好旋律，美妙可口之餘卻古典雋永。加上Jens Lekman以散文式敘事的情癡內容，內容與音樂都一樣有趣吸引。不可不提，專輯找來El Perro del Mar的 Sarah Assbring 及Frida Hyvönen作和音。

由較富麗堂皇heavenly的編曲開首的《And I Remember Every Kiss》與悠揚笛聲穿插的寫意作品《Sipping On The Sweet Nectar》都是這位含情脈脈的男孩的初戀聯想，後者「初戀記憶像花蜜一樣甜」更讓人會心微笑。

感性憂鬱一點的有《A Postcard To Nina》是Jens Lekman在Berlin碰上Lesbian 的Nina的故事，讓他願當她的男朋友來應付她那基督教徒的爸爸。他的演唱接近口述式的自然，副歌部份的語氣尤其有趣，但整體卻是首bitter-sweet，溫柔有趣得來帶著無奈傷感。又或是那美好的《Shirin》淡淡愛情故事，Shirin替自己剪髮而展開的單戀故事，像是掛了在門口已泛黃的愛情故事。

《It Was A Strange Time In My Life》有關自己的沉默寡言的個性，溫溫沌沌的旋律吟唱加上編曲用上小孩哼唱的鬼馬童趣，又多少讓人想起Cocorosie 或是Mün最新專輯的風格。可是歌詞中如「Either that or they are miserable from all the shit they’ve been storing」卻流露著愁傷。《Kanske Är Jag Kär I Dig》意即「Maybe I am in love with you」，運用了a cappella 的doo-wop，是與心儀對像的角力。那個舊得發黃的盒型收音機傳來的《Friday Night at the Drive-In Bingo》是舊式的華爾滋，像上世紀老掉了牙的舞池音樂，快活。

不過，論內容我最喜歡的是《The Opposite Of Hallelujah》那個與妹妹到海灘本意是散心的故事，兩人的無奈哀愁卻在如此輕快恬適的作品中表達，再看他在電視台一人結他的演唱，更是讓人愛上。

官網

The Opposite Of Hallelujah

I took my sister down to the ocean
But the ocean made me feel stupid
Those words of wisdom I had prepared
All seemed to vanish into thin air
Into the waves I stared

I picked up a seashell
To illustrate my homelessness
But a crab crawled out of it
Making it useless

And all my metaphors fell flat
Down on the rocks where we sat
She asked where are you at?

But sister, it’s the opposite of hallelujah
It’s the opposite of being you
You don’t know ’cause it just passes right through you
You don’t know what I’m going through

You don’t know what I’m going through
You don’t know what I’m going through
You don’t know what I’m going through

We made our way home on the bikes we had borrowed
I still never told you about unstoppable sorrow
You still think I’m someone to look up to
I still don’t know anything about you
Is it in you too?

You’ve got so much to live for, little sister
You’ve got so much to live for

But sister, it’s the opposite of hallelujah
It’s the opposite of being you
You don’t know cause it just passes right through you
You don’t know what I’m going through

You don’t know what I’m going through
You don’t know what I’m going through
You don’t know what I’m going through
You don’t know what I’m going through