I Was a King

I Was a King | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 7, 2009)
• Original Release Date: 2009
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Control Group / Tcg
• ASIN: B001REA52G
• In-Print Editions: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #332,844 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Appropriately compared to Teenage Fanclub and the days when The Electric Prunes and The Strawberry Alarm Clock were ruling the radio airwaves, I Was A King gives us a warm, nostalgic, fuzzy feeling with this lead single from their forthcoming self-titled album. --The Trip Wire

Unlike fellow Scandinavians Dungen, who employ a similar sonic palette, I Was a King features songs with genuine hooks. And unlike Apples in Stereo and Teenage Fanclub, with whom they share a similar love of fuzzed-out power pop, there is some truly gonzo guitar work here to satisfy the biggest Hendrix fan. Grading on the curve (I m assuming that English is not their native language), there are fourteen very fine originals here, all of them immensely hummable, all of them reminiscent of the days when The Electric Prunes and The Strawberry Alarm Clock were ruling the radio airwaves. --Paste

Product Description

The Norwegian band I Was A King is the brainchild of Frode Strømstads. The new self-titled album, which follows 2007's Losing Something Good for Something Better, features Serena-Maneesh's Emil Nikolaisen on bass, drums and a co-production credit, alongside guest spots from Sufjan Stevens, Danielson and Ladybug Transistor, among others. But even without "star" contributions, the 15 tracks add up to pleasingly dense, tuneful, and ambitious batch of psychedelic power pop. The layers of sound will likely appeal to fans of Olivia Tremor Control as much as older tastes a la Strawberry Alarm Clock. (There's a song about "Golden Years" and some of this is vintage.) Teenage Fanclubbers might also want to pay attention; and, after listening to the burnt guitar soloing, you'll understand why Strømstads has Dinosaur Jr. in his Top 8. -Stereogum

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Record to Kick Off 2009!, May 26, 2009

By 

Leif Sheppard (United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: I Was a King (Audio CD)

Before the President was even inaugurated on 20 January 2009, I WAS A KING released their self-titled entry for album of the year. Too early? Perhaps, but when the music is this grand, it's easy to imagine this album featuring on numerous year-end best-of lists.

I WAS A KING crafts rock/pop gems that typically clock in at two or three minutes. I adore a song that doesn't overstay it's welcome, many bands forget how crucial this is. Naturally, some songs are better than others, but the fifteen tracks presented here are all worth hearing. The standout track is unquestionably "Norman Bleik", which has "classic single" written all over it.

Still, there are a myriad of reasons to love this album. It's brevity and immediate feel lend an aura of intensity to the music, and while I WAS A KING is occasionally a bit too heavy on the reverb, even tracks such as the noisy "Not Like This" are entirely listenable. Who knows, if you like acts like The Raveonettes, you'll probably love the reverb too!

A few other new records in the same general genre worth checking out are:

Foreign Born - Person to Person
Director - I'll Wait for the Sound
Lacrosse - Bandages for the Heart
Telekinesis - Telekinesis!