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Track Listings
| 1. Homesick |
| 2. Misread |
| 3. Cayman Islands |
| 4. Stay Out Of Trouble |
| 5. Know How |
| 6. Sorry Or Please |
| 7. Love Is No Big Truth |
| 8. I'd Rather Dance With You |
| 9. Live Long |
| 10. Surprise Ice |
| 11. Gold In The Air Of Summer |
| 12. The Build Up |
Editorial Reviews
'The New Acoustic Movement' may have disappeared as quietly as it arrived but the legacy lives on in some of the biggest chart acts in the world today. Katie Melua, Damien Rice & their ilk have made gentle strumming & whimsy attractive & highly commercial - leaving their indie forefathers to scrabble for credibility. What place, then, for Kings Of Convenience in this new marketplace. Originators of this most delicate of genres, they produced one of 'The New Acoustic Movement's' defining records in their debut effort, 'Quiet Is The New Loud'. Having nearly lost Erland Oye to the dance underworld - Kings Of Convenience have reacquainted themselves with their roots to produce a sophomore effort that puts the Meluas of this world to shame. Opening with the Simon & Garfunkel-esque 'Homesick', 'Riot On An Empty Street' takes the listener on a magnificent voyage of intricate folk, shuffle heavy lounge & quaint indie & mixes them up on an album of wondrous charm. 'Riot On An Empty Street' is a joy from start to finish.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
60 of 64 people found the following review helpful
By majorka
Format:Audio CD
It must be tough to follow up a success such as "Quiet is the New Loud", and many people feared that Kings of Convenience would be a one-off as the band members each got stuck into other projects - Erlend Řye went solo with an ambient project, and Eirik Glambćk Bře concentrated on his studies (in psychology, I think). But here it is: The long awaited follow up. And it's a very pleasant listen.
This sort of subtle, acoustic music never really goes out of style. You could just as easily give this album to your mother or even grandmother and they'd probably enjoy it just as much as you do (yikes!). That doesn't much sound like a good recommendation for a pop record ... but it is. The crisp clean production and first-rate musicianship makes this a treat to listen to, even though the harmonies are the oldest in the book, but also probably the most immediately pleasing for exactly that reason. This time the duo invite a French female guest writer and vocalist Feist for some variation - which works really well.
Take Simon and Garfunkel - add a bit of jazzy stuff here and there and a bit more melancholy in some places, and you have a pretty good general idea of what this record has to offer. I don't understand, though, why some reviewers find this only mopey - but then again I am familiar with Erlend and Eiriks home town where the weather is always rainy. We do nothing but stare out of rainsplashed windows all year (well, almost). And I know that this is when you want something as soothing as this on your stereo: While you make a cup of hot tea and read the paper, or invite some close friends around for a quiet, home-cooked meal. But it's equally good to rest your sleepy head to on a sunny, lazy summer afternoon: "Gold in the air of summer", indeed.
I'm also already waiting in anticipation for the Röyksopp dance remix of "I'd rather dance" - probably the catchiest uptempo tune on this record. (Röyksopp, can you hear me??)
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
In a day and age where musical artists come and go and pop acts are a dime-a-dozen, Kings of Convenience are a refreshing change of pace.
Beautifully minimal without the copious electronics, overdubbing, and processing that most music goes through these days, it's nice to hear a couple guys and a guitar making great music.
When I first heard them, I immediately though of Simon and Garfunkle in terms of their asthetic and songwriting similarities. These guys have a little more pop sensibility about them, as witnessed in tracks like "Sorry or Please", "Love It No Big Truth", and "I'd Rather Dance With You."
Like most great music I come across, I discovered these guys purely by accident. I found a remix of one of their tracks which of course lead me to check out the band's original work. I was immediately impressed with their lyrical, vocal, and musical sensibilities and have been listening to this album non-stop for days.
The only reason I gave this disc 4 stars was because there are 2-3 tracks that sound too similar to one another.
Check out the samples and you'll quickly see what a refreshing change of pace Kings of Convenience are. They come highly recommended.
Beautifully minimal without the copious electronics, overdubbing, and processing that most music goes through these days, it's nice to hear a couple guys and a guitar making great music.
When I first heard them, I immediately though of Simon and Garfunkle in terms of their asthetic and songwriting similarities. These guys have a little more pop sensibility about them, as witnessed in tracks like "Sorry or Please", "Love It No Big Truth", and "I'd Rather Dance With You."
Like most great music I come across, I discovered these guys purely by accident. I found a remix of one of their tracks which of course lead me to check out the band's original work. I was immediately impressed with their lyrical, vocal, and musical sensibilities and have been listening to this album non-stop for days.
The only reason I gave this disc 4 stars was because there are 2-3 tracks that sound too similar to one another.
Check out the samples and you'll quickly see what a refreshing change of pace Kings of Convenience are. They come highly recommended.
23 of 25 people found the following review helpful
By Larry White
Format:Audio CD
Keep this to a hush, but there is a new, so far unnamed sub-genre in Rock `n Roll. We'll name it "Whisper Rock" and let the trendoids follow. It is basically self-explanatory. Pretty, understated, acoustic or quietly electronic music, whether upbeat or melancholy, with vocals rarely rising above the conversational tones of the late, great Mr. Rogers or Captain Kangaroo. This music may have its antecedents with the likes of The Fleetwoods or Donovan or, going back a bit further, 12th Century Monks, but it seems to have begat the recent likes of Cat Power and Iron and Wine and Belle and Sebastian and a slew of others including this Norwegian duo, Erland Oye and Eric Glambek Boe (those "o"s should have Scandanavian slashes through them) slightly better known as Kings of Convenience. These guys have written a batch of lovely, catchy tunes sung in graceful 2-part harmony in impeccable English, no less. The only additional voice is that of a female named simply Feist whose 2 small, sweet contributions certify the album as a keeper.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gold In The Air Of Summer
Kings of Convenience do something amazing on this record. They have managed to take a path that few others have done in the past few decades; stripping down to the barest elements,... Read more
Published 3 months ago by JayStizzle
5.0 out of 5 stars
Nice album, nice band
I really enjoy this band's music and this album was pretty good. It's very subtle, yet powerful songs and beautiful music.
Published 17 months ago by Alexandra Dyshlyuk
3.0 out of 5 stars
Kings Of Convenience - Riot On An Empty Street
RIOT ON AN EMPTY STREET, the second album from the Kings of Convenience, keeps the quiet, folksy beauty to the music: the acoustic guitar and vocal harmonies blend seamlessly into... Read more
Published on March 4, 2011 by scoundrel
5.0 out of 5 stars
A New Folk Classic
Almost single-handedly, Simon & Garfunkel took the folk music playbook and modified it to create a sound deeply rooted in folk yet immediately accessible to casual radio listeners. Read more
Published on May 26, 2009 by Leif Sheppard
5.0 out of 5 stars
Happiness without the Guilt
Riot on an Empty Street by Kings of Convenience is one of those albums that hauntingly seep into your consciousness with simple melodies, deep lyrics and killer transitions. Read more
Published on April 7, 2009 by The Mighty Pen
5.0 out of 5 stars
If you don't like this you can't be trusted
Everytime I put this album on around someone they say, "Who is this? It's great!"
Published on February 13, 2009 by Heather R. Brown
5.0 out of 5 stars
omg!
This is such a contagious album! I couldnt stop listening for days! I still listen to it Qam.
Love them !!!!
Love them !!!!
Published on February 25, 2008 by tavaughan
5.0 out of 5 stars
Feel like a rest?
The solution is pretty easy. Get yourself this album and kick it back on the couch with the top on the lap. Sippin' on some oj. Read more
Published on February 7, 2008 by Thomas Claes
5.0 out of 5 stars
luvley
This album soothed my ears like a warm car seat after a cool swim. I picked it up cheap from a bargain bin as i'de heard one track off the radio which had made my ears prick. Read more
Published on December 8, 2007 by J. J. Bracegirdle
4.0 out of 5 stars
Soft, almost-Acoustic Rock... A great discovery!
Really know nothing about these Scandinavian guys. I heard that they're quite famous in their native country. Read more
Published on November 29, 2007 by ARMANDO R. VENEGAS
Listmania!
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