By Sujin Thomas

IN 2007, Norwegian folk duo Erlend Oye and Eirick Boe reconvened as Kings of Convenience for a show in Mexico. And it's clear that the pair took in more than just a tan.

It was their first gig together in two years, having spent time focusing on side projects like The Whitest Boy Alive and Kommode shortly after the release of their sophomore album, 2004's Riot On An Empty Street.

It was also to be the start of something new. Blame it on the Caribbean sunshine, for the two shed the frosty folk that marked their debut, Quiet Is The New Loud (2003).

Declaration Of Dependence embraces a lighter side of bossa nova inspirations.

The cover's album art sees a shirtless Boe sitting on an idyllic beach peering over his acoustic guitar while Oye stares off into the distant grey sky.

It's a clue to the introspective look at the album's breezy numbers which, unlike the Kings' past outings, stay clear of matters of a heavy heart.

And their quintessential charm - which lies in bare instrumentation, adding percussion from taps on the fretboard
and creating dynamics through intertwined vocal harmonies - remains intact.

Power Of Not Knowing, about the coming of age, is set adrift with the lush workings of steel and nylon guitar-string pluckings. It is powerful yet quiet enough to be a blissful lullaby.

Later on, strings from a viola and upright bass bring to life Peacetime Resistance, a look at accepting differences in others.

They say that time changes everything. But in the case of Kings of Convenience, they've stayed mostly true to their winning formula, wavering only to become even better.

Music Review:

KINGS OF CONVENIENCE
- Declaration Of Dependence (Warner)

Ratings: 4.5

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