Kings of Convenience

https://ibb.co/wrDHm7z

for anyone that happens to be a Kings of Convenience fan, Eirik posted a IG story saying that KoC will share something new if/when their newly-created Instagram account reaches 50k followers -- hopefully (seeming to be) new music??

https://ibb.co/wrDHm7z

may be a correct link for the photo included in my previous post

excellent news!

Oh great. I just played the new Erlend Oye lockdown song. I enjoyed it. I would happily buy an album of them doing cover versions every 6 months.

New album out today. First impression - it’s a KoC album!

After further listens... I am very satisfied by this album even if, at the same time, it's my least favorite of theirs. Kings of Convenience are a duo whose sporadic output benefits them hugely. I don't mind that all their albums sound quite similar--the aesthetic of Peace of Love is not far removed from their debut, released 20 years ago. But when they only have four albums to their name, that doesn't really bother me. They feel quite literally like two friends who get together when they can. Two people who speak the same language but only find time to speak to other when life permits - so the speaking of that language is comfort enough.

This album doesn't have as high a quantity of immediately memorable tunes. Riot on an Empty Street teemed with them, and Declaration of Dependence had at least half an album's worth. But the overall experience of the album is still consistently comforting - like finding my favorite jacket tucked away in the back of my closet, I just want to wear the hell out of it now. Further listens may change that perspective. My instinctive response this time around is that the slowest, quietest songs are the most affecting even if I don't yet find them distinguishable yet. These are the songs that veer furthest away from Riot. The Feist duets and the jauntier tracks feel like explicit callbacks to that album (admittedly their best!). And while I like these songs, I think I'm drawn more to the quieter tunes because they feel less nostalgic.