A Leif Vollebekk Masterpiece: “Sunset Boulevard Expedition”

Brand new Leif Vollebekk!

Leif released ‘Revelation‘ on September 27th, and it took me until today to make it to “Sunset Boulevard Expedition,” the penultimate track on the album.

Sir. Inject this into my veins and let me live in this track for a few days, please! A slow-building melancholic monster of a tune, 8 minutes and 19 seconds of bittersweet and wistful beauty.

The transition mid-song to the dreamy refrain: If I have to live without you / I’m just gonna dream about you / I’m not gonna let you fade away / I’m not made that way – with accompaniment by the Brooklyn Youth Chorus and the heavenly swells of Sara Pagé‘s harp.

The spoken words of the final moments. The genuine ACHE he feels, and the way the song just washes over me as I listen.

The drummer on this tune? The legendary Jim Keltner, honorary Traveling Wilbury, who has played with so many popular musicians in the business. Please check out Leif’s story about calling up Jim out of the blue, and how the song came together. It’s here on his Instagram post.

Listen to this song. Find and take in the lyrics and the imagery they evoke.
Just stunning.

Check out Revelation on Bandcamp or Leif’s web site.