Album reviews: Kings of Convenience - Declaration of Dependence
November 3rd, 2009
Kings of Convenience Declaration of Dependence [EMI]
If Erlend Øye and Erik Glambek Bøe are such sticklers for detail, then it’s understandable why Kings of Convenience take their time releasing albums. But seeing as Øye has been busy with his other band the Whitest Boy Alive, releasing two albums since the last Kings album, 2004’s Riot On An Empty Street, that’s simply not the case. But they can certainly fool the ears.
Declaration of Dependence is yet another meticulously composed collection showcasing the duo’s bread and butter: those exquisitely chillaxed harmonies. What’s immediate is the decision to eschew Riot’s focus on rhythm by removing the percussion that made that album a refreshing transition from their debut, Quiet is the New Loud.
While the upright bass gives “Boat Behind” a gypsy-like bounce, “Mrs. Cold” simplifies bossa nova and “Me in You” adds some Brazilian flavour, Øye and Bøe stick to their minimalist stance for most of the record keeping it stripped down and sans percussion. (Perhaps Øye’s simply decided there’s enough of that in his other band.) If anything it keeps their distinction in check, which is the best possible thing for a couple of guys considered the heirs to Simon & Garfunkel’s throne.
As they sing on the much darker “My Ship Isn’t Pretty,” there are “quiet protests against loneliness” and their understated soft touch is more apparent now than ever. The Kings allow their songwriting to do the talking, and though the songs still barely register above a whisper their subjects are louder. They allude to war (”Peacetime Resistance,” “Rule My World”) and love – both with a woman and their “bromance” - through their intimate acoustics and the pitch-perfect harmonizing they’ve built a career with.
Declaration might not grab you as quickly as its more animated predecessor, but the introspection and inventiveness remind us once again of why we first fell in love with these soft spoken Norwegians.
Rating: B+
- Cam Lindsay
Tags: Declaration of Dependence, Erik Glambek Bøe, Erlend Øye, Kings of Convenience
Posted on Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009 at 10:18 am by Cam and is filed under Reviews, The New Music.
