Album: Kings of Convenience - Declaration of Dependence (2009)
Track: “Mrs. Cold”

Another week, another new album. This time, it’s Norwegian folkish duo Erlend Øye and Eirik Glambek Bøe, better known (and easier to pronounce) as Kings of Convenience and their third proper L.P., Declaration of Dependence.

Kings of Convenience first came on to my radar when their debut, Quiet Is The New Loud dropped in 2001 to much critical acclaim in the U.K. And, like I’ve said before, if the U.K. music press loved it, you know I was on it. The press were quick to use their album title as the banner under which some new quiet, acoustic type of movement was to fly. This was, after all, positioned as a response to the wave of new rock bands bringing back the cool rock sound (and “The”). Stokes. White Stripes. Hives. Etc.

Quiet Is The New Loud never really broke any new ground nor was it as self-consciously ripped off from a prior generation of forefathers (like, say, Scandenavian neighbors The Hives). But that was never the point. The duo splintered off after the album to do various side-projects usually involving electronic music (you’ve actually heard Erlend Øye more than you think: he’s the vocalist on the Royksopp track “Remind Me,” so heavily featured in Geico caveman commericals. Damn. I can’t believe I just referenced the Geico cavemen. Fail).

After some tinkering around with their sound for their sophomore release, the duo is back doing what they do best: writing and singing simple folk tunes with plenty of harmonizing, soft acoustic guitar, and simple lyrics that somehow reveal themselves to be much deeper when they interplay with the strumming and humming. “Mrs. Cold” is, I believe, the lead single from Declaration of Dependence. It’s a perfect summation of their signature sound.

The album is pretty sparse as far as other instrumentation goes, some occasional piano or other stringed instrument. Most of the percussion is whatever sounds break through from the guitar pick and/or hand of either artist simply striking the guitar.

Just like their debut album, Declaration isn’t groundbreaking. It isn’t innovative. But it sees the group sticking to their guns and doing what they do best. Quiet never became the new loud and probably won’t be. But this is a thoroughly enjoyable album, start to finish, an easy listen for its simply subtle lyrics and guitar picking, or something light to keep in the back of your mind.

Tracklist:

1. 24 To 25
2. Mrs. Cold
3. Me In You
4. Boat Behind
5. Rule My World
6. My Ship Isn’t Pretty
7. Renegade
8. Power Of Not Knowing
9. Peacetime Resistance
10. Freedom And Its Owner
11. Riot On An Empty Street
12. Second To Numb
13. Scars On Land