I Was A King Fail to Fizzle With Flat Second Album
Wednesday, 07 April 2010
Written by Dan Clark
Norwegian trio I Was A King, follow up their widely acclaimed 2007 debut ‘Losing Something Good for Something Better’ with a self titled second album that includes many a collaboration, featuring Gary Olson (Ladybug Transister), Surjan Stevens and Emil Nikolasien (Sereena Maneesh), as well a mixing by Nick Terry (The Libertines, Primal Scream, Klaxons).
I was a King sees the band continue their love affair with an indie pop formula that is reminiscent of 90’s shoegaze, with a pinch of the pychadelic 60’s. Think Mercury Rev mixed with My Bloody Valentine, all funnelled through Vaseline smeared headphones whilst hiding in a cupboard...you get the picture.
Frontman Frode Strømstad could never be accused of having the most engaging of voices and on I was a KingFrodes morose, flat tones seem to sum up an album that never really gets going.
As with their first album, I Was A King’s second is lean, though this offing is far from mean. Clocking in at just over 30minutes, it can largely pass you by without grabbing your attention. This is summer listening, reflected in the song titles of California, a fading summer and past golden years. It is reminiscent of a hazy past, but someone else’s; a person far less interesting than yourself.
Through the album Strømstad deals with bereavement, crippling shyness, collapsing relationships and the need to change his life. The problem it’s so un-engaging it’s hard to really care.
This is a band who have aimed for the middle ground between uncompromising Scandinavian death metal bands such as Carnage or Nihilist and the commercial pop of Abba.
Where bands such as the Hives and Peter, Bjorn and John have succeeded with upbeat garage rock and pop respectively, I Was A King fail with an album so deride of heart that it’ll have you reaching for a copy of ‘Mamma Mia’...and that can never be a good thing.
Stand out track Norman Bleik briefly grabs you but is the only saving grace for an album that only ever threatens to get going before descending into a mash of fuzzy guitars and droning vocals.
I Was A King coined the phrase "Power-Pop" to describe their approach. Well, they got it half right. It’s pop without a fizz, like a bottle of flat coke, the sugary pop ingredients are there but it just don’t taste right.
Stereoboard Rating - 2/5
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