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It's great to have them back Nov 20, 2009
Geeky , polite and as sweet as two 6-month old babies , the Kings Of Convenience have won a special place in the hearts of their fans not only for their gentle melodies but also for the wonderful wonderful friendship they display on stage and during interviews . The norwegian Simon & Garfunkel as they are often called , their latest offering " Declaration Of Depedence " comes five years after their sophomore release " Riot In An Empty Street " remains faithful to their already established sound .. which is a good thing !
It's amazing how rich a sound two acoustic guitars and two voices can produce . The mood here varies from happy ( " Boat Behind " ) to melancholic ( " Me In You " ) to zen-like ( the hypnotic " Scars On Land " ) while the band gives it's listeners lyrics that can be heartbreakingly beautiful ( " ...dreams burn but in ashes are gold " ) or in other occasions , playful and witty ( " we got four eyes so why yearn for one prespective ?.. " they ask , celebrating freedom of thought ) .
This might not be anybody's thing . Rebelious teenagers for example would probably seek for something angrier . This doesn't change the fact though that this is top quality songwritting . People who have enjoyed current pop folk artists before , people who cherished the work of let's say , Tracy Chapman , Suzanne Vega , Feist ofcourse , Jens Lakeman , Jack Johnson and Josh Rouse , will be delighted with this piece of music so well-crafted as an antique classic violin .
One of the best albums of the decade! Nov 18, 2009
This album is all I hoped for and much more. It's consistently on my playlist. No one does mellow music like Kings of Convenience. Try it and you will be hooked.
1 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Worth the Wait Nov 16, 2009
Easily album of the year for me. It took these guys way too long to release it, but Declaration of Dependence is worth the wait. At first, these songs may not seem up to par of those from Riot on an Empty Street, but eventually you come to fully appreciate each song and the subtle intricacies their the recording. You can definitely tell that both of them have become better musicians over the past 5 years. Stand-outs for me include, Freedom and Its Owner, Peacetime Resistance, Renegade, and Me in You.
1 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Bridges Over Troubled Waters Nov 06, 2009
Erlend Øye and Eirik Glambek Bøe, Norway's new millennial Simon & Garfunkel are back, issuing a DECLARATION OF DEPENDENCE five life- and world-altering years after RIOT ON AN EMPTY STREET.
This time around, Kings of Convenience are Feist-less but lyrically feisty. DECLARATION OF DEPENDENCE is an album that seems open to interpretation on at least three different levels - personal, artistic, and global.
In addition to the album's title, songs such "Rule My World," "Freedom and Its Owner," "Peacetime Resistance" and "Scars on Land" suggest that the Kings have been thinking much about a world dominated by a single global superpower. If so, they sound less than impressed. "Only someone who's morally superior/can possibly and honestly deserve/to rule my world."
At the same time, maybe these are just metaphors to reinforce the fact that love remains a battlefield, as in songs such as "Mrs Cold" and "Me In You."
"Boat Behind" could be about two lost lovers or two childhood friends getting back to work together: "So we meet again after several years... of separation/Moving on moving around/Did we spend this time chasing the other's tail?"
As with Quiet Is the New Loud and Riot on an Empty Street, this new album is gentle, catchy, and packed with songs that are real "growers." Played low, it's delightful background music. Louder or through headphones, its lyrical punch is clearer, with sad-wise lyrics giving a melancholy edge to its summery sound.
Ultimately, however you interpret these songs, Kings of Convenience recognize the simple truth that in today's globally connected, interdependent world, actions have consequences. And relationships matter.
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
 The Kings Have Another Solid Album Nov 01, 2009
I argue that the Kings of Convenience never got their due in the States. The Kings have a unique sound--minimalistic in many ways but for some reason feels complete in song. The intricate harmonies, limited orchestration, and simple yet elegant music that the Kings have would get drowned out in the pre-teen pop, hard rock, and R&B that fill radio today. That, and their music and lyrics tend to feel like a light depressant and/or therapy for guys thinking about their former girlfriends. Not great for US radio play. But don't let that keep their good music from getting made.
Their latest album, "Declaration Of Dependence" is their first in five years. Over that time, lead singer (sort-of) Erlend Øye released a number of albums, including two with the great Berlin-based "minimalist rock" group Whitest Boy Alive. Eirik Glambek Bøe was less active musically. However, time doesn't have much of an effect on their music, as fans from their earlier albums "Quiet Is The New Loud" and "Riot On An Empty Street" will find the transition to "DoD" easy. I feel like DoD is more similar to some of the softer and tranquil songs of both albums. There isn't as much of a fast-paced effort that "I'd Rather Dance With You" or "Misread" have--this is more like "Parallel Lines" or "The Build Up". That being said, some of the songs they have promoted on their website ("Mrs. Cold" and "Boat Behind") are tremendously catchy and fill that need for a faster tempo, soft-rock (I hate to call it that) feel.
I find the songs on DoD beautiful in the same vein as their past albums but I wonder how often I will listen to them. Are they so likeable that I'll go through dozens of listens like in their past albums? I'm not sure yet, but I'd say that some of their songs are going to get that treatment more than others. The last songs on the album drag with their similarity and maybe I'll end up focusing on the first half of the album. And, that's okay by me. I'll save the full listen of the album for when I visit Scandinavia again. Why? Because this album feels like Scandinavia at its best--tranquil, classy, intelligent, and undeniably pleasant. I've been to a number of cities in Scandinavia, but not Bergen, and I bet if I took the train between Oslo and Bergen this music would fit perfectly with the scenery. Just buy the album and then hop on an SAS jet to Eirik and Erlend's home country. Take a listen as you ride around the beautiful scenery and you'll see what I mean. It's not a standout worth the 5 year wait, but it's still far superior to 99% of the music coming out today.
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