Alexander von Mehren: Artist You Should Know

Listening to Norwegian artist, Alexander Von Mehren’s debut, “Aeropop“, conjures up thoughts of Stereolab, The Beatles and The High Llamas – the harmonies, the orchestration, and the homage to all of the great library music from France and Italy that has clearly inspired him so much.

So it’s not surprising that when I read the credits and a little bit about the album, I discovered that it was mixed by John McEntire (Stereolab, The Sea & Cake) and has players from The High Llamas, Jaga Jazzist and Orwell.

Von Mehren plays all of the instruments himself and it’s spirit coalesces for me on the song “Winter Comes.”

Maybe I was drawn to it because we were in the middle of the late summer LA heatwave.

Really though, it’s the light touch and fun of the vocal, the lyrics and the arrangement.

As with a very good dessert, this is an album to be tasted bit by bit rather than devoured all at once.

— Anne Litt