Kings of Convenience - s/t
(Kindercore)
Kings of Convenience has the most sophisticated sound of any band on the
Kindercore lineup. The Norwegian duo combines two guys with two acoustic
guitars and two voices along with two (or maybe three) prepackaged drum loops
to create a suave and subdued lush sound.
Much like you'd mention The Mamas and the Papas when talking about The Ladybug
Transistor just because they are both pop bands and both use multiple male and
female vocal harmonies even though the 2 bands don't sound or seem the same, you
seemingly can't mention Kings of Convenience without mentioning Simon and
Garfunkel. These similarities end on the surface though, as their melodies
and message are otherwise very different.
Who the duo does remind me of is Red House Painters. "Parallel Lines" is
a good example of this. The band uses simple imagery of parallel
lines to symbolize two lovers that will never be united. The power
of the lyrics along with the mellow, sad singing and swaying guitar strum
create a sound very similar to what Mark Kozelek creates with his voice and
guitar.
There's not much variation on theme on the Kings' debut. Sad tales
of love and loss is about all you get. The music is still pop though...
sad pop. The guitar strum is efficient, and the duo makes good use of choruses.
When the duo is at their best, they are using all four weapons at their
disposal simultaneously: both voices and both guitars, for instance "Parallel
Lines" and "Failure." In songs like these, the duo surpasses mere pop music,
the interplay between their two guitars creating a rich, textured sound
heightened greatly by the atmospheric qualities of the vocal harmonies.
As in "Failure," though, even when the music is rich and upbeat,
even the bits of hope, with lyrics like "Failure is the best way to learn,"
seem to be at best bittersweet.
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