Heave Media

I Was A King Delivers Quick Fix Of Guitar Pop

Scandinavians look to make waves on this side of the pond.

I Was A King

I Was A King

Released on Apr 07, 2009

Given the positive buzz surrounding the recent wave of Scandinavian acts, it's safe to say that expectations are pretty high for becoming the region’s next break-through act. Bands like Loney Dear, Peter Bjorn & John and Serena-Maneesh have all found varying levels of international acclaim. With that said, enter Norway’s latest addition to the already impressive Scandinavian pop cannon: I Was A King. 

I Was A King’s self-titled release is the creation of Frode Strømstads. The album taps Serena-Maneesh’s Emil Nikolaisen on bass and drums and features the talents of Sufjan Stevens and Danielson on a few tracks. Judging by the guest line up alone, you might assume you were in for some form of Americana folk. It doesn’t take long, however, to realize that this is anything but folk. 

For the entirety of this self-titled release, I Was A King takes no issue with wearing its musical influences blatantly on its sleeve. But if you are a fan of shoegazey pop from the 90s and catchy songwriting, this shouldn't be a problem. “Golden Years,” one of the record's highlights, combines blissed-out melodies reminiscent of early Apples in Stereo with the warped guitar styling of My Bloody Valentine. Think Loveless on a sugar high. This comparison is a fitting reference point for much of the record, at least until Sufjan Stevens makes his contribution on “It's All You.” Following the standard soft-loud format, the album’s single begins with Stevens’ signature piano work. His calm introduction seems oddly out of place given the context. Yet once the band enters, it quickly proves to be one of the more interesting songs on the record. The track allows I Was A King to show off a more diverse sound and refuse to be pigeonholed to one particular genre. 

Despite the past tense nature of their name, I Was A King is a band that seems completely satisfied in making music for the present. At fifteen tracks, the entire record clocks in at a brisk 31 minutes–giving it a sense of immediacy and making for an engaging listen. The short runtime is also a testament to Strømstads’ ability to craft a dense collection of pop songs without unnecessary filler. 

Although I have no personal problems with short records (some would call it “music A.D.D.”), I could see how an album this short could be a little off-putting to some people–especially with one whole track as an interlude. Five songs in, on “California,” you hear the band crafting what seems to be a single verse of a really great pop song. It’s the only track that left me wanting more, ending prematurely at a mere 57-seconds. 

There’s no denying that I Was A King has made a solid pop record, well suited to be your spring-time soundtrack. Their talent for fusing instantly hummable melodies with fuzzy guitar goodness is tastefully done and never comes across as derivative. It might take King a few more releases to write the next Scandinavian version of “Young Folks.” Until then, however, they can find push forward knowing that they have serious potential of one day becoming Scandinavia’s next big export.

Posted by Brett Westnedge on Mar 03, 2009 @ 7:00 am