If there is a band that has rejuvenated a musical genre than it has to be Kings of Convenience who started the “Quiet is the new loud”-era with their album in the early 2000s. Over quite a period they delivered albums with their unique voice-fitting folk sounds, mostly just accomplished with their two guitars. Eirik Glambek Bøe and Erlend Øye from Bergen, Norway reached a massive fan-base all around the world with perfect songs that often even didn’t happen in the charts although they are very popular. Classics like Homesick, Mrs. Cold, Me in you (with that so cool Bergen-drone-video), I’d rather dance with you or I didn’t know what I can save you from (with this unique Royksopp-remix that introduced us to them many years ago) established them on the cutting edge of indie-music.
It was in 2016 when the guys announced a new album and a tour prior to the album release. We had the chance to hear and see the premiere of this at a sold out venue at Zonnehuis in Amsterdam. And then… nothing. It took the band 5 years from then to records the album to their grade of perfection and mood. It is recorded at several places all over the world. from Norway to Sicily and even South America.
So ‘Peace and Love’ took a long way with the high hopes to satisfy the enormous expectations the fans and the band have for a new album. And to make long things short: It does.
It wouldn’t make sense to change the KoC-formula e.g. the typical sound and setup, so feel right from the start back in the good-known cosmos with “Rumours”: Soft guitars and the perfect matching voices of Erlend and Eirik.
The second song “Rocky Trail” puts in some strings and they made a video for it:
On some other songs like ‘Love is a lonely thing’ or ‘Catholic Country’ they have vocal assistance by singer Feist.
And there is a wonderful documentary for the new album, done by KMF-bandmember Stain who delivers a very personal insight in the long-lasting congenial relationship of the two guys:
Follow Kings of Convenience
website
facebook
instagram
Photo credit: KoC-facebook
-
Rating
Summary
The masters are back with a harmonising and calm album, it is a fantastic piece of music! Wonderful melodies and floating acoustic guitar licks are on every single song on this album: All killer, no filler! There is just one little thing that would have made it more perfect: One or two more catchy, outstanding hooks.