Personnel: Sondre Lerche (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, harmonica, percussion); Kato Adland (electric guitar, pedal steel guitar, piano, keyboard, background vocals); Morten Skage (bass guitar, percussion); Ole Ludvig Kruger (drum); Alex Locascio (percussion); Inara George, Tony Hoffer (background vocals). <p>Sondre Lerche has been a clever symphonic popster (TWO WAY MONOLOGUE) and a suave, jazzy sophisticate (DUPER SESSIONS), but it took until 2007 for the artist to let his hair down enough to truly rock out. PHANTOM PUNCH packs more power than all of Lerche's previous efforts, combined with its tight, muscular sound (thanks to Lerche's band, the Faces Down) and superb songs. <p>It's the latter that truly satisfies: the tunesmithery on PHANTOM PUNCH equals, and possibly surpasses, Lerche's earlier work. Holding firm to a classic power pop vein (one is reminded of early Elvis Costello and Joe Jackson), Lerche crafts tunes replete with smart lyrics and spry melodies that only improve with repeated listens. The disc stands as further testament to the songwriting skills of the Scandinavian popster, and also to his remarkable ability to shift styles and sounds with ease.