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.
