Of course, all regular readers of this blog know that power pop and jangle pop are two of our major musical food groups. So it should come as no surprise that when we heard that the wonderful Norwegian band I Was A King had enlisted Teenage Fanclub's Norman Blake to produce their new album, we put the album at the top of our priority list. We are happy to report that our faith and instincts were rewarded -- Slow Century is an absolute delight from beginning to end. The sound is more pop than some of their other albums (other than their 2013 album which also was produced by Blake), and it is perfection to our ears. The hooks and guitars fit comfortably in a channel that includes Big Star, The Byrds, and Teenage Fanclub, but the affecting combined vocals of Frod Stromstad and Anne Lise Frokedal provide a distinctive element that makes the songs all the more memorable. Ole Reidar Gudmestad and Arne K. Mathisen comprise the able rhythm section, and Half Japanese's Jad Fair contributes guitar to standout track 'Hatchet". The result is one of our top albums of the first quarter of 2019.
Bandcamp for Slow Century
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