Kings of Convenience

Almost single-handedly, Simon & Garfunkel took the folk music playbook and modified it to create a sound deeply rooted in folk yet immediately accessible to casual radio listeners. Their 1964 album Wednesday Morning, 3 AM is a landmark recording in the furtherance of popular acceptance of folk.

Though the album was not an overnight success, within two years the group would shoot to stardom under the momentum of fans who could not get enough of the airy acoustic guitars and lyrical witticisms. Part of the credit is due to Paul Simon's exceptional songwriting prowess, and part of it is due to the otherworldly harmonizing between Simon and Garfunkel.

Over thirty years later, up and coming acts are still working off the S&G folk modifications, many of them adding their own enhancements and alterations to the mix. Belle & Sebastian are perhaps the most notable of these ardent folk followers, but an oft-overlooked outfit is the duo comprising Kings of Convenience.

Norwegian musicians Erlend Oye and Eirik Glambek Boe, playing together since their mid-teens, formed the band in 1999 and managed to release their debut Quiet is the New Loud only two years later.

The beauty of KoC songs is in their simplicity. "I Don't Know What I Can Save You From", with it's soothing, hushed vocals that would become trademark, sidles along amiably despite the ominous overtones of the lyrics.

"Toxic Girl" gained the twosome significant attention, featuring both in a wireless advertisement and in the film Shallow Hal. What strikes the listener most about the album is that though there is some scoring to the songs, and scant percussion here and there, the bulk of their work is straight acoustic singer/songwriter stylized folk music.

It is a refreshing sound free from the noisy overproduction and needless instrumental meandering that permeates the sound of many modern indie acts.

After a diverging remix album called Versus, Kings of Convenience released sophomore effort Riot on an Empty Street in 2004.

With this release Oye and Boe built upon the folk tradition, displaying extensive creative growth and expanding the scope of their sound by leaps and bounds. "I'd Rather Dance With You", unquestionably the poppiest track on the record, excitably bounces along with a danceable beat. It was the second single culled from the record and potentially misleading to newcomers as to the overall characteristics of KoC's sound.

The first single, "Misread", showcases the duo at their absolute zenith. The breezy acoustic guitars and mellifluous vocals are rarely in finer form, and this alluring dynamic is displayed in other tracks such as "Live Long", "Cayman Islands", and "Gold in the Air of Summer."

Leslie Feist, who herself released an album that year, features on two tracks: "Know How" and "The Build-Up".

The folk genre is crowded with acts who attempt to emulate what Kings of Convenience have done, but the honest truth is that Oye and Boe are peerless. Any skepticism to this declaration can be quelled by simply listening to their work, both of their albums are highly recommended.

Let us hope 2008 holds a new one from Kings of Convenience. . .

"Toxic Girl" from Quiet is the New Loud (2001)

"Gold in the Air of Summer" from Riot on an Empty Street (2004)

BONUS MP3

Erlend Oye/Phoenix "If I Ever Feel Better" from DJ-Kicks (2004)