CD: Jens Lekman, Night Falls Over Kortedala

Sweden's coolest pop star, Jens Lekman, returns with his second album and once again he's knee deep in samples, strings and old-fashioned schmaltz. Armed with a Scott Walker baritone and an imagination that pits shimmering harp against hip-hop beats and brass, Night Falls Over Kortedala is audacious and beautiful. From the unrepentant lothario of And I Remember Every Kiss to the bored country bumpkin of Friday Night At the Drive-In Bingo, Lekman has an unorthodox vision and skewed view of love. Pop is rarely as genuinely affecting, joyful or good as this.