Album Review: Jens Lekman Brighly Shows That ” Life Will See You Now”
Jens Lekman’s Life Will See You Now is as bright a statement as his album. The entire record feels like the empowerment you would have after a positive conversation with someone. It sonically embodies that instant wisdom you feel when someone has taught you how to live life a little bit better and a little more fully.
There is much to admire about Lekman as a lyricist. The man knows how to capture the smallest things about life that make it feel grand. Often, when we look back at our greatest memories it is the small things that move us to smile or cry. It in this sense that Lekman is a detailed poet. Songs like, “Postcard” and “Our First Fight” feel too honest and nuance in how they embody every thought that crosses Lekman and your mind during confrontation. Lekman shows the guilt, fear, and then the ridiculousness you feel once its over for having succumbed to so much self-shame. Whether it be insecurity or self-awareness, Lekman’s lyrics teeter between humorous and frightening in how “real” they are. You will not find many artists that do not mind capturing how silly humanity can be in its attempt to be stronger or more stable in its desires for itself. Tracks such as “How We Met (Long Version), “To Know Your Mission”, and “Evening Prayer” come off like sonics sprints but, lyrically, are slow and observant. It is as if Lekman has the incredible superpower to slow down time and capture a moment with supernatural insight. He will tell you every detail of the room he fell in love with his partner or every emotion that rang through is mind as a tumor was removed. The result is record that feels like a diary written with sonic sunrays.
//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/platform.js“What’s That Perfume That You Wear?”
I think what I love most about Life Will See You Now is that Lekman has achieved something I wish I could: to be raw and positive, all at once. I have always found raw emotions or deep thoughts to be inhibiting to positivity. How can you see light when darkness seems so intense? Yet, Lekman shows that brightness comes through so many things, from material to spiritual, that you can pick up a lighter enery, at all times. Life is about perspective, and thought you cannot deny the bad, you must see the good because both come together all at once. For me, the lightest energy of Life Will See You Now comes from the vast arrangements Lekman blends from multiple genres like, 80’s pop, 90’s folk, Hip Hop flares, and electro groove. He takes from everywhere to get his listeners somewhere, yet his “somewhere” is beautiful and effortless to enter, especially because Lekman sings like he is having a conversation with you. Every note he hits is more casual than sentimental, which makes songs such as “What’s That Perfume That You Wear?” and “How Can I Tell Him” build a sweetly simple atmosphere. It is as if you are waiting on a couch, sitting next to Lekman, when someone says Life Will See You Now. To Buy Life Will See You Now and Learn More About Jens Lekman Click Here.
