Jens Lekman

Swedish indie-popper Jens Lekman comes from a proud lineage of lovelorn crooners like Morrissey, Stephin Merritt and, in particular, Jonathan Richman, whose large, sorrowful eyes he shares. Like all three, Lekman, who headlines an 8 p.m. show at the Pabst Theater tonight, melds wry, self-deprecating lyrics with an almost comically exaggerated sense of melodrama, recording music that can be read as either relentlessly whimsical or painfully sad, depending on the listener’s mood. He puts his own, distinctly Swedish spin on the craft, though, bringing in fluttering, ABBA-ish arrangements on songs for which he’s decided a lone acoustic guitar won’t suffice.