Sondre Lerche

When searching for a sonic backdrop for Dan in Real Life-the latest Steve Carell vehicle, about an advice columnist/widowed family man who gets his love wires crossed-director Peter Hedges wanted something cohesive and iconic, like what Simon & Garfunkel did for The Graduate. When he discovered the honest sentimentality of Norwegian singer/songwriter Sondre Lerche, Hedges knew he’d found his man, and he was right. Lerche delivers the bittersweet, poppy, real-life-sounding goods here, showing that soundtracks needn’t always be wannabe Top 40 smorgasbords-they can both add to a film and stand on their own as powerfully lovely albums.