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Erlend Øye was responsible for a couple of the more quietly influential releases of the early 2000s -- the Kings of Convenience's wispily gentle, prophetically titled debut Quiet Is the New Loud and his affable, microhouse-popularizing DJ-Kicks set, not to mention his fine vocal contributions to Röyksopp's early singles -- all thoroughly excellent if hardly earth-shattering work. In the latter part of the decade, though, his output and impact seemed sadly diminished as he lapsed into a middling, milquetoast groove as frontman for the smooth pop outfit the Whitest Boy Alive. The group's second outing is, like everything Øye touches, never less than pleasant, poppy, and unfailingly polite. And his Berlin-based bandmates know their way around a nimble lite-funk strut as well as anyone (Maroon 5 come to mind, as do Phoenix in their more straightforward moments). Newly official member Daniel Nentwig, in particular, offers some tastily chunky electric piano tidbits; his presence on every track (as opposed to only two) helps make this a fuller-sounding affair than the band's debut, as well as somewhat more kinetic. And Øye's croon is as golden as ever, gliding through his earnestly considered reflections on ill-fated relationships. But sound is one thing and spirit another, and the album feels, on the whole, more tired than inspired. A handful of marginal highs aside (the minor urgency of "Courage," the fluid sobriety of "Gravity"), it's hard to shake the feeling that Rules would be a lot more satisfying if it broke a few more.
© K. Ross Hoffman /TiVo
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The Whitest Boy Alive, Producer, MainArtist - Erlend Øye, Composer, Lyricist - Marcin Öz, Composer - Sebastian Maschat, Composer - Daniel Nentwig, Composer - Copyright Control, except Erlend Øye who is with UMGP UK, MusicPublisher
2009 Bubbles Records 2009 Bubbles Records
The Whitest Boy Alive, Producer, MainArtist - Erlend Øye, Composer, Lyricist - Marcin Öz, Composer - Sebastian Maschat, Composer - Daniel Nentwig, Composer - Copyright Control, except Erlend Øye who is with UMGP UK, MusicPublisher
2009 Bubbles Records 2009 Bubbles Records
The Whitest Boy Alive, Producer, MainArtist - Erlend Øye, Composer, Lyricist - Marcin Öz, Composer - Sebastian Maschat, Composer - Daniel Nentwig, Composer - Copyright Control, except Erlend Øye who is with UMGP UK, MusicPublisher
2009 Bubbles Records 2009 Bubbles Records
The Whitest Boy Alive, Producer, MainArtist - Erlend Øye, Composer, Lyricist - Marcin Öz, Composer - Sebastian Maschat, Composer - Daniel Nentwig, Composer - Copyright Control, except Erlend Øye who is with UMGP UK, MusicPublisher
2009 Bubbles Records 2009 Bubbles Records
The Whitest Boy Alive, Producer, MainArtist - Erlend Øye, Composer, Lyricist - Marcin Öz, Composer - Sebastian Maschat, Composer - Daniel Nentwig, Composer - Copyright Control, except Erlend Øye who is with UMGP UK, MusicPublisher
2009 Bubbles Records 2009 Bubbles Records
The Whitest Boy Alive, Producer, MainArtist - Erlend Øye, Composer, Lyricist - Marcin Öz, Composer - Sebastian Maschat, Composer - Daniel Nentwig, Composer - Copyright Control, except Erlend Øye who is with UMGP UK, MusicPublisher
2009 Bubbles Records 2009 Bubbles Records
The Whitest Boy Alive, Producer, MainArtist - Erlend Øye, Composer, Lyricist - Marcin Öz, Composer - Sebastian Maschat, Composer - Daniel Nentwig, Composer - Copyright Control, except Erlend Øye who is with UMGP UK, MusicPublisher
2009 Bubbles Records 2009 Bubbles Records
The Whitest Boy Alive, Producer, MainArtist - Erlend Øye, Composer, Lyricist - Marcin Öz, Composer - Sebastian Maschat, Composer - Daniel Nentwig, Composer - Copyright Control, except Erlend Øye who is with UMGP UK, MusicPublisher
2009 Bubbles Records 2009 Bubbles Records
The Whitest Boy Alive, Producer, MainArtist - Erlend Øye, Composer, Lyricist - Marcin Öz, Composer - Sebastian Maschat, Composer - Daniel Nentwig, Composer - Copyright Control, except Erlend Øye who is with UMGP UK, MusicPublisher
2009 Bubbles Records 2009 Bubbles Records
The Whitest Boy Alive, Producer, MainArtist - Erlend Øye, Composer, Lyricist - Marcin Öz, Composer - Sebastian Maschat, Composer - Daniel Nentwig, Composer - Copyright Control, except Erlend Øye who is with UMGP UK, MusicPublisher
2009 Bubbles Records 2009 Bubbles Records
The Whitest Boy Alive, Producer, MainArtist - Erlend Øye, Composer, Lyricist - Marcin Öz, Composer - Sebastian Maschat, Composer - Daniel Nentwig, Composer - Copyright Control, except Erlend Øye who is with UMGP UK, MusicPublisher
2009 Bubbles Records 2009 Bubbles Records
Album review
Erlend Øye was responsible for a couple of the more quietly influential releases of the early 2000s -- the Kings of Convenience's wispily gentle, prophetically titled debut Quiet Is the New Loud and his affable, microhouse-popularizing DJ-Kicks set, not to mention his fine vocal contributions to Röyksopp's early singles -- all thoroughly excellent if hardly earth-shattering work. In the latter part of the decade, though, his output and impact seemed sadly diminished as he lapsed into a middling, milquetoast groove as frontman for the smooth pop outfit the Whitest Boy Alive. The group's second outing is, like everything Øye touches, never less than pleasant, poppy, and unfailingly polite. And his Berlin-based bandmates know their way around a nimble lite-funk strut as well as anyone (Maroon 5 come to mind, as do Phoenix in their more straightforward moments). Newly official member Daniel Nentwig, in particular, offers some tastily chunky electric piano tidbits; his presence on every track (as opposed to only two) helps make this a fuller-sounding affair than the band's debut, as well as somewhat more kinetic. And Øye's croon is as golden as ever, gliding through his earnestly considered reflections on ill-fated relationships. But sound is one thing and spirit another, and the album feels, on the whole, more tired than inspired. A handful of marginal highs aside (the minor urgency of "Courage," the fluid sobriety of "Gravity"), it's hard to shake the feeling that Rules would be a lot more satisfying if it broke a few more.
© K. Ross Hoffman /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 11 track(s)
- Total length: 00:44:03
- Main artists: The Whitest Boy Alive
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Bubbles Records
- Genre: Pop/Rock Rock Alternative & Indie
2009 Bubbles Records 2009 Bubbles Records
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