ComfortComes

Review: Kings of Convenience – Declaration of Dependence

Atmospheric vibe and minimal instrumentation have been the staples of both previous Kings of Convenience albums. Since the release of their first album, only Jose Gonzalez has come close to replicating this formula. Within the confines of that formula, the duo have excelled at creating amazingly unique melody. This album however, does not seem as inspired. Though most of the songs are catchy and fun at least five of them could be part 2 of “Know How”, a track from the previous album. The other slower songs, albeit beautifully sung, are rather predictable. The song “Renegade” is the most original in its beautifully naked chorus of unrhyming lyrics; “Go easy on me, I can’t help what I’m doing”, but the song itself sounds just like “Leaning Against a Wall” from the first album. In “Renegade” the unrhyming works but the Kings do it throughout the album and it often does not work can feel a bit cumbersome. Case in point is at the end of “Me in You”, where they sing “and im watching you now, i see you building a castle with one hand while tearing down another with the other”.

This album sees Eirik taking over most of the lead vocals again which the album benefits from. Its still the best album to play in your car while driving through fallen leaves this season and it will still make you comtemplate, but it lacks lush originality to blow your mind.

Review: Paramore – Brand New Eyes

The powerful pop-rockers of Paramore are all grown up and have given us an album that assures us they are here for the long run. I’ve been looking forward to Brand New Eyes for quite some time and I wasn’t disappointed. The theme of this new insatiable album is definitely maturity. For such a young band, Paramore has certainly had their fair share of problems and setbacks. The band nearly fell apart last year but the much needed break gave them the opportunity to do some healing and come back stronger than ever. Lead singer Hayley Williams’ lyrics are filled with much more depth as she tackles the issues that had formed a schism in the band. The opening track “Careful” expresses Williams’ anger, “You can’t tell me to heal / The truth never set me free / So, I did it myself.” Her anger gets even more intense on “Play God” as she proclaims, “You say that I been changing / That I’m not just simply aging / Yeah how could that be logical? / Just keep on cramming ideas down my throat.”

“The Only Exception” is easily one of my favorite tracks. It’s serene, it’s engaging, and it’s real. Williams’ shows her fragility and her vulnerability on this acoustic beauty. “Misguided Ghosts” attempts to give off the same tenderness, but doesn’t have quite the same affect on me. The fans will have to battle it out as to which slow song reigns supreme.

Williams’ isn’t a teenager any longer and she’s not holding anything back. The lyrics on Brand New Eyes stand out way beyond the music itself. Maybe it really is true that girls mature faster than boys. The only downfall to this album is that the music isn’t as bold and adventurous as Riot!. The lyrical content has taken a step forward while the music has almost taken a step back. The songs are still full of playful vivacity and energy but it seems only one member was willing to truly expose herself and take a risk. Paramore is still headed in the right direction towards a long and successful career. Hayley just needs to give the boys a little nudge forward next time.

Must listen to tracks: “Ignorance,” “The Only Exception,” and “Brick By Boring Brick”