Quiet Is the New Loud

by

Kings of Convenience

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This album is one the best albums I own, (second only to Boy With the Arab Strap by Belle and Sebastian), and I think more people need to hear it. The music is reminiscent of late '60s, early '70s bands like Simon and Garfunkel, Nick Drake and Love. Their lyrics range from the simplistic, (The Girl From Back Then), to the metaphorical, (Parallel Lines).

The singing is soft and intimate and the guitar work is precise, meticulous and always excellent. If you listen carefully to some of the songs, a downtuned acoustic guitar provides the bass line.

"Quiet is the New Loud" is a gorgeous, sparse and extremely beautiful album and is an essential addition to any folkie's record collection.

When I first heard this record, I thought "yeah, I can dig this" (I do not really talk like this). Then I got sort of bored. I think maybe it's because quiet really IS the new loud--there are more and more bands that just sound the same as Belle and Sebastian, or (in the States) Elliott Smith. To be honest, KC don't really add much to the sound that Nick Drake mastered with Pink Moon, 25 years ago--and Nick Drake did it better than they do.

With that said, this record has grown on me. While the Kings are covering familiar territory, they do so beautifully (extended metaphor deleted). They could write better lyrics. They could be more ambitious. But they seem like good guys, and I like some songs on this album a lot. They stayed with me. That's a good feeling, that's what art or music or whatever is supposed to do, and grumbling about their lack of originality won't take that away.

I like this album. Very catchy and very well done, nice quiet music that will help you sleep and give you pleasant dreams.

Thank you.