Track Listing

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

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2274 in Music
• Released on: 2004-06-21
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .21 pounds

Amazon.co.uk Review
With Riot on an Empty Street Kings of Convenience prove yet again that understatement and subtlety can be truly thrilling. When not attempting to replicate the harmonious acoustic shimmer of Simon and Garfunkel on lacklustre tracks such as "Homesick" and "Surprise Ice", Norwegian folksters Erlend Oye and Eirik Glambek Boe deliver charming, self-effacing lyrics backed by unhurried and refreshingly simple melodies that embrace and cajole. Stand-out moments include "I'd Rather Dance with You" and the sublime upbeat acoustic strut of "Love Is No Big Truth", which mixes Eirik's infectious banjo hook with artfully mellifluous lyrical observations. Fragile, emotive and as biting as the Nordic wind Riot on an Empty Street is a demonstration of enduring talent. --Christopher Barrett

Album Description
The Kings of Convenience release their long-awaited second album, Riot on an Empty Street, from which the beautiful single "Misread" is taken. This is the first album from the winsome Norwegian duo of Erlend Oye and Eirik Glambek Boe since their critically acclaimed debut, Quiet Is the New Loud, which earned them favourable comparisons with have Nick Drake, Simon and Garfunkel and Belle and Sebastian.

CD Description
Second album from Norwegian duo whose 2001 debut 'Quiet Is The New Loud' kickstarted the neo-acoustic boom which also featured bands like Alfie and Turin Brakes. After guesting onheaps of dance records and releasing his solo album, ErlendOye returns to his partnership with Eirik Boe for another chilled-out collection of witty, folky songs, more ambitious and lushly produced than its predecessor.

Customer Reviews

Just Stunning
This is one of the most beautiful albums I have heard in a long time. I've had the pleasure of listening to an advance copy and it's just mind blowing. It takes Quiet Is The New Loud on 50 fold, with Misread, Cayman Islands and I'd Rather Dance With You as standout tracks and Homesick, Sorry or Please and Stay Out of Trouble millimetres behind in terms of loveliness. Their wordplay and acoustic melodies throughout are like nothing you'll hear anywhere else, and it's great to hear Leslie Feist. Homesick sounds JUST like Simon and Garfunkel when you first play it and you almost have to check the box to make sure you haven't slipped one of their albums in by mistake. If you don't buy another album all year, then buy this. Stunning.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it...
A triumphant return from the Kings here on this their follow up to the outstanding album from the 'new-acoustic movement' in 2001 entitled 'Quiet Is The New Loud'. If you've already got that (and you should have), then this is a treat.
Simply, this is more of the same. Great melodies and some instantly catchy material that is so carefree and floaty that it is now a unique attribute of their music.
The one difference is a more Americana sound emerging on some songs. This is best highlighted by the superb 'Love Is No Big Truth' that has shades of Blur's 'Think Tank', Lambchop's 'Up With People' and a bit of Flaming Lips/Mercury Rev thrown in too. However, it still sounds distinctivly like a Kings tune. In addition, the pace of some tracks are more urgent than on QITNL. 'I'd Rather Dance With You' has hints of Moloko's 'Familiar Feeling' without sounding over-produced. This is probably Erland's influence from his dance excursions in the last couple of years. Personal favourites would have to be 'Homesick', 'Misread', 'Cayman Islands' (truly beautiful) and 'Gold In The Air Of Summer'. All are more traditional Kings tunes really.
So, a welcome return and you don't really realise how good they are until you don't hear from them in a while. Still an under-rated and under-exposed treasure for fans of quality songwriting. Forget Franz Ferdinand, this pair the real girls favs. This is the audio equivalent of getting in touch with your feminine side!

Excellent CD!
What I like about this cd is the acoustic element. Their softness is really cosy to me and my favourite songs are "Home Sick" and "I'd Rather Dance with you". I think the album has a lot for everyone. It is sleepy, dancy and it is a gentile pop that could make one think of a warm summer's day. I don't like the way they're compared to Simon and Garfunkel. That comparison turns me off completely, the folky bit. I think they have much more in common with The Dears and Flannelmouth. Now that I think about it, they probably have more in common with Phoenix too. "Riot on an Empty Street" is just not meant to be noisy. The album is simply relaxing and I am surprised that no one mentioned 'sophisticated'.