"There are very many things I would like to say to you..." -Kings of Convenience
Some of you more diligent--or perseverant maybe?--readers will know that I have a love-hate relationship with a band called The Kings of Convenience.
I love their song writing ability; specifically their song I'd Rather Dance With You. But I hate their albums, for I am a child of Pop music. If I am really honest about my music preferences then I admit that the first bands that really captured my attention as a kid were my mom's Beatles, Elton John and Beach Boys vinyls. I have a special fondness reserved for Gordon Lightfoot; Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young; and Simon and Garfunkel but they don't move me. They sit in the background and they occupy space. The other former bands make me dance.
The Kings of Convenience are CLEARLY more motivated by the latter groups. So there is a giant stretch of ground in the middle to cover. For folksy bands I think I like Kings of Convenience, but I listen to my best of Simon and Garfunkel album once a year, maybe once every two and I ALWAYS skip Scarbrough Fair. I don't like it just doesn't do anything for me musically.
Every Kings of Convenience album that I have listened to--in part or in whole--has sounded like an eleven track manifesto of Scarbrough Fair. But now... I am finally starting to think that we can bridge the gap: I present you with Versus.
I want to thank my sister, Lauryn, for prompting me to do this. The other day, while prodding me into posting something, she said, "I wish you would do music reviews." And I told her that I love writing them but they start to feel a bit tired when you read the music reviews where people use phrases like: soulful harmony, smoky jazz vocals, interloping harmony... I mean seriously what the shit does all that mean?
So here is my first foray into an album review; for my sister, who prompted me to do this.
Versus is a fantastic album; and it illustrates what I know: that Kings of Convenience is capable of producing--brilliant, near perfect pop songs. I should probably qualify the word pop. I don't mean top 40, or Clear Channel. I typically think of Rock music being driven by drums and electric guitars; funk by the bass line; Folk by acoustics; Electronica (in all its forms) by the synthesizer; Jazz by the... well Jazz is sort of its own thing; but, Pop to me is all of these things. It is the music that strives to make it all work together. I don't know how to describe it. But Versus does it, in spades.
The album is actually an album of remixes. My understanding on it is that they KoC (I can see Adam giggling now) handed over their masters to a bunch of their friends and essentially said, there you go guys have a ball with it. Then they walked away.
The result is an album that is fuller, more complex and infinitely more enjoyable than their other albums, Riot on an Empty Street, or the ironically named Quiet is the New Loud.
Contributers to the album include Royksopp, Ladytron, Four Tet, Riton, Alfie, David Whitaker, Erot each one of them adds a flair to the song. Royksopp flourishes the song "I don't know what I can save your from" with a looping electronic bass line. But the most noticeable treatment is probably Evil Tordevil's treatment of "Leaning against a wall" which is turned into an almost second-wave (two tone) ska homage. It isn't all electronica though. "Toxic Girl" is given a full backing orchestration that adds a depth to the lyrics. Failure is given a new sound that conjures up memory of Burt Bacharach songs. Little Kids is given a discordant background that make it seem imperative (and there I go, what does imperative music sound like?)
I have said to friends in the past that remix albums are to be used sparingly by bands. Lovely Wife, for example, has a remix album made up entirely of U2's song "Lemon". I personally can't stand that many variations of a song and after a while I find myself wondering, what's it all for? But Versus explains it for me. Remixes add a new dimension to your favorite songs, or your favorite artists, it is a way to listen to something with new ears, and in my case, like it for the first time.
Versus is an excellent album. I would categorize it under the heading of Run Don't Walk to get it. But only if you love Pop music.
I love their song writing ability; specifically their song I'd Rather Dance With You. But I hate their albums, for I am a child of Pop music. If I am really honest about my music preferences then I admit that the first bands that really captured my attention as a kid were my mom's Beatles, Elton John and Beach Boys vinyls. I have a special fondness reserved for Gordon Lightfoot; Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young; and Simon and Garfunkel but they don't move me. They sit in the background and they occupy space. The other former bands make me dance.
The Kings of Convenience are CLEARLY more motivated by the latter groups. So there is a giant stretch of ground in the middle to cover. For folksy bands I think I like Kings of Convenience, but I listen to my best of Simon and Garfunkel album once a year, maybe once every two and I ALWAYS skip Scarbrough Fair. I don't like it just doesn't do anything for me musically.
Every Kings of Convenience album that I have listened to--in part or in whole--has sounded like an eleven track manifesto of Scarbrough Fair. But now... I am finally starting to think that we can bridge the gap: I present you with Versus.
I want to thank my sister, Lauryn, for prompting me to do this. The other day, while prodding me into posting something, she said, "I wish you would do music reviews." And I told her that I love writing them but they start to feel a bit tired when you read the music reviews where people use phrases like: soulful harmony, smoky jazz vocals, interloping harmony... I mean seriously what the shit does all that mean?
So here is my first foray into an album review; for my sister, who prompted me to do this.
Versus is a fantastic album; and it illustrates what I know: that Kings of Convenience is capable of producing--brilliant, near perfect pop songs. I should probably qualify the word pop. I don't mean top 40, or Clear Channel. I typically think of Rock music being driven by drums and electric guitars; funk by the bass line; Folk by acoustics; Electronica (in all its forms) by the synthesizer; Jazz by the... well Jazz is sort of its own thing; but, Pop to me is all of these things. It is the music that strives to make it all work together. I don't know how to describe it. But Versus does it, in spades.
The album is actually an album of remixes. My understanding on it is that they KoC (I can see Adam giggling now) handed over their masters to a bunch of their friends and essentially said, there you go guys have a ball with it. Then they walked away.
The result is an album that is fuller, more complex and infinitely more enjoyable than their other albums, Riot on an Empty Street, or the ironically named Quiet is the New Loud.
Contributers to the album include Royksopp, Ladytron, Four Tet, Riton, Alfie, David Whitaker, Erot each one of them adds a flair to the song. Royksopp flourishes the song "I don't know what I can save your from" with a looping electronic bass line. But the most noticeable treatment is probably Evil Tordevil's treatment of "Leaning against a wall" which is turned into an almost second-wave (two tone) ska homage. It isn't all electronica though. "Toxic Girl" is given a full backing orchestration that adds a depth to the lyrics. Failure is given a new sound that conjures up memory of Burt Bacharach songs. Little Kids is given a discordant background that make it seem imperative (and there I go, what does imperative music sound like?)
I have said to friends in the past that remix albums are to be used sparingly by bands. Lovely Wife, for example, has a remix album made up entirely of U2's song "Lemon". I personally can't stand that many variations of a song and after a while I find myself wondering, what's it all for? But Versus explains it for me. Remixes add a new dimension to your favorite songs, or your favorite artists, it is a way to listen to something with new ears, and in my case, like it for the first time.
Versus is an excellent album. I would categorize it under the heading of Run Don't Walk to get it. But only if you love Pop music.
posted by V. at 4:34 PM
3 Comments:
"Run Don't Walk" that is the best way to describe something! You should trademark your rating system!
Duuude, no one was supposed to know about that Lemon remix album!! Attention, everyone -- that remix album came with some other stuff I got. Some other, er, U2 stuff.
Nice review though.
You had me at "second wave (two tone) ska homage."
Both Kings bands, "of Convenience" and "of Leon", have been recommended to me. Until this review I've never considered either. But for a batch of warm, choco-lately pop songs...
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