Lost in a Moment

Lene Marlin is a Norweigen singer/songwriter in the acoustic vein. Difficult to make comparisons, she's somewhere near Jewel and Jill Sobule, but she was in a class of her own at just 19. Grammy nominated Unforgivable Sinner and her second single, the infectiously catchy Sitting Down Here as well as parent album Playing My Game hit the top spot in Norway where Marlin gained four gongs at the local awards including Artist of the Year. Not only because she has something to prove purely in musical terms, but also because she has been worn personally in regards to all the hustle surrounding the multi-selling first record and the quite poorly received second album. Perhaps not too strange then, that she chose to do this new record in hiding, without steering and pressure from the record company and others with a wish to get their share of the cake. This summer Lene Marlin released Lost In A Moment, a sublime collection of music and lyrics more oriented this time to soft pop rock than only sweet pop offered in her first album and that sort of folk pop offered in the second.

The result is significantly more relaxed and uncalculated than the previous offers. The central thing that remains is Marlin's formidable ability in making crystal clear, wary, and slinky songs that hook enormously. Here she is doing this on several occasions, on the drift-filled single cut How Would It Be, but perhaps first and foremost on some calm songs, like Leave My Mind, and the quite so vulnerable Never To Know. The album's better track is coming as number two, and is entitled All I Can Say - bitter sweet in all its sadness - but it's first when the sound picture is opening in the second half that we are getting the better glimpses, namely the two wonderful ballads When You Were Around and It's True. First there is Lene touching the naked vulnerability that was so strongly present the last time around.

The relatively rapid appearance of Lost In A Moment reflects how comfortable Lene has grown in her role and how confidently she's taken charge of her own destiny. It's 11 songs where Lene's strong character comes out. The sound is crisp and intimate. The lyrics are straightforward and personal. And it is so wonderful hearing a natural talent like Lene making such high demands in regards to her song material. Lost In A Moment is more mature and of course every eventual production will be more mature then the last one. Lene Marlin is creating the kind of pop music that is perfectly fitting to the long Sunday mornings, where the half muffins are allowed to dry out in the sunlight, and the coffee is getting cold, while the bed is kept warm. Wonderful, frictionless, and intelligent pop. She has that potential to make music for the rest of her life such as Tori Amos or Sarah Mchlaclan or Joni Mitchell and that closed elite that were chosen for this occupation, let’s hope we live to see the day when this gorgeous and inspired blonde reaches her 20th or 30th production.