Jens Lekman

I love the music of Jens Lekman. For starters his lyrics are like a portal straight into his sub-conscious. They are sensitive, elaborate without being overindulgent and most importantly are perfectly paired with his music. Much of the potency of his songs derive from his skill in placing lyrics which describe very ordinary events and communal feelings behind overwhelming (sometimes even unnatural) orchestral sweeps. His music is as confessional and humorous as the Smiths, but is as poppy as fellow Sweedish sensation ABBA.
Lekman has a gift for making average happenstances and anecdotal situations seem like the most interesting thing ever talked about. He delivers his music with such wit and comicality you would expect to hear it from Oscar Wilde. The confessionaism of his lyrical content remains fairly consistent; however he often mixes up his sound extensively. Slow minimalist pieces like "Someone to Share My Life With" and "A Man Walks Into a Bar" feature only vocals and piano and are presented in a purposefully underwhelming manner. Given the bare bone structure of these recordings their performances live are always on key.
However Jens Lekman's music can be just as flowery and full as it is sparse and dismal. This style is heavily featured on his masterpiece of an album "Night Falls Over Kortedala". During a live show he frequently (and thankfully) pulls a good bit of songs from this album. It is absolutely stunning to hear him perform extravagant pieces like "Sipping On the Sweet Nectar". When he played this on his 2007 tour he and his band were all dressed in matching white uniforms. They did an excellent job of translating the energy of the record onto stage. Behind a synthesized backing track the bass player jammed out a disco style comp and the violins whirled about freely, executing all of the dynamics heard on the album. Jens took center stage and completely nailed the vocal delivery. His voice really seems like it can flourish in any context. It mixes in great with busy, thematic soundscapes, but can also sound beautiful behind a single ukulele as heard on some versions of "Black Cab". Lekman is one of the best sophisti-pop writers of this generation and his live shows are an absolute treat to see.