Kings Of Convenience consists of two somewhat unworldly Norwegians with acoustic guitars. In their youth they fell by the wayside with their quiet songs. The many hard-hitting bands from their old hometown Bergen have never been heard from again, but Erlend Øye and Eirik Glambek Bøe were able to break through in 2001 with their debut album Quiet is The New Loud, which for a short time was the
… motto of the 'new acoustic movement 'was used. Three years later, pop music has been in the grip of hard garage rock for a while and their softly plucked folky songs sound like from another planet. Fortunately the Kings Of Convenience have stuck to their original sound, as Riot On An Empty Street is again a very nice record with melancholic, softly sung listening songs. Obvious comparisons are those with Simon & Garfunkel and Nick Drake, but because of the harmonious voices, the jazzy accents and subtle arrangements there is still a unique sound. Notable are some prominent contributions from singer Feist, who periodically offers a welcome counterweight to the Kings' bedroom vocals with her clear voice. (MS)more
