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Review: Jack Foley
THERE was a time when it seemed as though we may have heard the
last of Kings of Convenience duo, Erlend Oye and Eirik Glambek
Boe, following their self-imposed exile after the release of debut
album, Quiet Is The New Loud, three years ago.
After a brief time sampling the club culture of Ibiza, Boe returned
to university, in his native Norway, while Oye made a solo album
and remained in and around the dance culture.
The days of Simon & Garfunkel comparisons seemed a thing
of the past.
Fortunately, however, the duo chose to reunite, and, in Riot
on an Empty Street, pick up pretty much where they left off,
delivering another delicately beautiful, harmony-laden long-player,
which effortlessly lightens the heaviest of moods.
Often hailed as the leaders of the new acoustic movement, the
Kings of Convenience triumph so highly because of their ability
to keep things simple.
There is a gentle, often subtle beauty to many of their harmonies,
as best displayed in the former single, Misread.
And yet when they open things up a little, the tracks effortlessly
seem to grow in stature, with trumpets and banjos coming to the
fore.
The banjo, in particular, is used to memorable effect, and there
surely hasn't been a better time for that particular instrument
(given its use by everyone from Nelly
Furtado to Travis).
Album highlights include Know How and The Build
Up, which include some equally dreamy guest vocals from Leslie
Feist, whose sweet style serves to chill the listener out even
more (if that were possible).
Some may argue that the Kings of Convenience are too laid back
for their own good, and just occasionally they can be found to
be drifting (as in Sorry or Please), but there are very
few genuinely laidback albums that can make you feel this relaxed
about yourself.
You can see why their stint in Ibiza provided the clubbers with
the perfect comedown, for this soothes as pleasantly as a good
massage.
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Track listing:
1. Homesick
2. Misread
3. Cayman Islands
4. Stay Out Of Trouble
5. Know How
6. Sorry Or Please
7. Love IS No Big Truth
8. I’d Rather Dance With You
9. Live Long
10. Surprise Ice
11. Gold In The Air OF Summer
12. The Build Up
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