The geeky-looking guy from Norway’s Simon and Garfunkel inspired Kings of Convenience likes to travel and make music wherever he lays his glasses. Despite being a clinical part of the Bergen music scene, the avid traveller composed indie pop music in Germany with The Whitest Boy Alive and has adopted a recent love for Sicily with his ambitious Italian-language track La Prima Estate, which he excitingly plans to turn into a full scale album but that project is currently on hiatus.

 

It’s been eleven years of anticipation since Erlend Øye’s last solo work, the electronic lounge of Unrest and after brass-heavy and harmonic single Garota promoted with a music video in South Korea, the wait was finally over. New album Legao was recorded with reggae and Icelandic natural treasure Hjálmar giving Øye’s latest effort another completely different style and much promise. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work. Øye’s vocals don’t fit the extreme reggae moments and on too many occasional his voice goes out of tune and strains like a puberty-entering teenager singing karaoke.

 

This is a shame, considering that his vocals are rightfully in high demand, including famously featuring on Royskopp’s Poor Leno. It’s hard to ignore and is essential element of the album, as it is what connects his fans to his earlier work and prevents alienation between his styles.

 

However, when all the reggae is gone on a few tracks, such as the piano solo Who Do You Report To and the Fleetwood Mac’s Dreams duplicate Bad Guy Now, we get to hear that the old Øye is still present. Likewise are his sincere and wise lyrics on the slow tempo of Lies Become Part of Who You Are. He rationally explains: “Telling a lie can be convenient, like a bag you have to carry it around/ like a scar it becomes part of who you are.” However, the reggae theme that the album encapsulates is forgettable, unexcitable and flat and the disappointment of Øye’s vocal connection with this style provokes future-pondering about when he will finally release that Italian project rather than celebratory thoughts about his current endeavour. MTH

 

Highlights: Garota, Rainman and Bad Guy Now

Proposed quote: “A disappointing detour in his eccentric career".