Leif Vollebekk’s music is so easy to listen to (without, of course, falling into the trappings of “easy listening”) that putting on one of his records feels like slipping into a perfectly warm bath. But easy on the ears doesn’t necessarily mean easy on the soul. Behind Vollebekk’s fluid and – if we’re being bold – sexy sound lurks the audial challenges of painful longing and achingly vulnerable lyrics, masterful instrumentation and virtuosic songwriting skills. But when put together, it all sounds so damn smooth, it’s easy to get lost in the vibes, the sway and the inviting depths of Vollebekk’s velvety voice before realizing he’s got your feelings in a stranglehold. More jazz-adjacent than technically jazzy, Vollebekk trades in the realm of soulful folky singer-songwriter compositions, augmented by blues-tinged guitar or, perhaps most effectively, alternately soaring and soothing piano. He reached new heights of acclaim in 2017 with the release of his Polaris Prize-shortlisted and Juno-nominated album Twin Solitude, and since then his songwriting has only matured. A solitary man, Vollebekk’s evocative songs carry classic ’70s influences, with a decidedly contemporary hipness, occasionally erupting into the odd burst of vocal frenzy. Seeing that intimacy played out on stage is a true treat — and as easy to listen to as it may be, getting over the emotional catharsis of a Vollebekk performance is no simple feat.

— Elizabeth Chorney-Booth