(VME/Brumby Distribution)

Nordic popsters blend the shiny and the ramshackle with aplomb

I Was A King are a Norwegian indie-pop outfit; being Scandinavian and melodic can make one immediately think they’re in for the clean, sculptured sounds that so often come from groups in this region. It’s certainly true that frontman Frode Stromstad creates classic, chunky power-pop melodies, but there’s something loose and slightly anarchic about the band’s approach. Opening song Still begins with what sounds like the Polyphonic Spree in soundcheck, before eventually collapsing into a propulsive power-pop tune. The combination of three-minute nuggets with brief flashes of experimentation, or potential tour-de-forces stripped down to under one minute, brings to mind both Guided By Voices and Apples In Stereo – the former recalled in the short, sweet Breathe, the latter in the soaring 57 second California and the choral psychedelics of Extra Number. Like the pun title suggests, Norman Bleik is pure Teenage Fanclub, hazy indie melodies combined with Byrds-charged guitars. The album’s longest song, the 3:43 of It’s All You begins with over one minute of sombre neo-classical piano and still has room for a complete, satisfying pop anthem. Such is the carefree charm of I Was A King.

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MATT THROWER

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