Declaration of Dependence (DVD) Kings of Convenience

Declaration of Dependence is the third studio album by the indie folk duo Kings of Convenience, and their first after a five-year break. Frequently hailed as a new Simon & Garfunkel, the Kings of Convenience revisit their formula of percussive acoustic guitars and soft-spoken crooning.

The hushed pastel tones of the album cover give a hint of the pretty melodies that follow. The first, 24-25, features echoing guitar strings and the vocals of Erlend Oye and Eirik Glambek Boe singing in harmony. The entire album is essentially built on this stripped-down sound, with slaps of the fretboard providing the ambling beat in place of drums. The songs are occasionally interspersed with folkish violin notes as on Boat Behind.

Oye's voice is direct but gentle and delivers the lyrics without any bells and whistles. This not only matches the simplicity of the song arrangements but also helps Oye address the topics covered in Declaration with a certain frankness - topics which range from a self-righteous partner to the impossibility of true freedom. Mrs Cold, which deals with an unfriendly woman, belies its bittersweet subject with a confident riff on the guitar that gives way to Oye and Boe's vocals, wearing its bossa-nova influences proudly on its sleeve.

All in all, the Kings of Convenience have come up with another hit with Declaration.