Erlend Øye
Unrest

After more than a year of sitting in my CD collection, I needed to attend a Kings Of Convenience concert to be (positively impressed by their performance) prompted to re-listen to this album carefully, which I initially underestimated.
Yes, because for those who don't know, Erlend Øye is none other than the red-haired and extroverted guy from the successful Norwegian duo.
Apart from his almost Mediterranean spontaneity, he has a great compositional talent and a personal and beautiful voice.

In his solo album, Erlend welcomes us into a world of analog synthesizers and drum machines directly from the '80s that meet acoustic guitars and the piano sounds already characteristic of the KoC.
The result? A very chill-out album created with the collaboration of talented Electro producers from all over the world.
In particular, track 4 "Prego Amore," composed with the Roman duo Jolly Music, stands out for the refined choice of samples and the beautiful plots woven with synthesizers.
In "Symptom of Disease," recorded with Mr. Velcrofastener, a sudden lump in the throat emerges, and one can't tell whether it's autumn or spring, if the scent wafting through the air is of chestnuts or jasmine...
Other tracks, on the other hand, recall the style of fellow Röyksopp (with whom Erlend has written and sung two tracks), like track 3 "Sudden Rush" produced with the Swedish electro poppers Kompis in which an « ...sudden burst» is narrated with a melancholic nonchalance typically Nordic.

It's undeniable (especially after attending a Kings concert) that these Norwegians have character and heart, but in their songs, they embody a sort of detachment from the events or people that triggered them.
Moreover, the Nordics seem particularly comfortable within the domestic walls (let's remember that the KoC often ask their fans to send them photos of their environments!) and manage to convey this sense of comfort to the CD listener (who might be squeezed in a crowded subway).
Always on the topic of domestic environments, in the lengthy accordion-style photo book, Erlend Øye poses slyly depicted in a living room (his own?).
Furthermore, flipping through the credits and browsing online, one learns that the production of many tracks is home-made, in the home studios of the various producers...

A great CD from the dancing Norwegian, maintaining its coherence even though it's made with the contribution of several artists.
If you are incurable romantics or if you simply crave not thinking, this album is for you.