The Top 10 Albums of 2009 - #10 Declaration of Dependence by Kings of Convenience

Happy New Years faithful kharmonious readers! Your unfaithful bloggers have come out of hibernation for the second annual Kharmonious Top 10: a celebratory recap of these two pseudo-critics' favorite albums of 2009 (which by the way, was a fabulous year for music lovers). Check our blog each day up to the 10th as we count down to our #1 album of 2009 (hint: it's not Jonas Brothers). Without further ado, here's Declaration of Dependence by Kings of Convenience, our #10 pick for best album of 2009:

Kings of Convenience are two guys: Erlend Øye and Eirik Glambek Bøe. They're from Bergen, Norway and they play some of the most mellow, soothing and invigorating acoustic guitar I've had the pleasure of listening to. It may seem counter-intuitive to use the words "soothing" and "invigorating" in the same description, but that's the exact effect their music has on me. It's calming and relaxing, but never crosses the line over to uninspired elevator music. One listen to songs like "Mrs. Cold" from Declaration of Dependence or their hit single "I'd Rather Dance With You" from Riot on an Empty Street and you'll know exactly what I mean. Their sound is undeniably mellow, but never boring or unexciting; there always seems to be some guitar riff or vocal harmony that piques the ear's interest.

A good friend introduced Kings of Convenience to me this year on a mix CD along with several other artists I hadn't heard before, and Kings instantly stood out to me as an artist I would be following for years to come (figuratively speaking). I immediately fell in love with their sound and recording style. I don't know what they do to make their guitars sound so imminent, but they reverberate and resonate as if they're actually in my computer when I listen to their songs on iTunes. I can hear their fingers slide across the guitar strings and pluck each and every note. Make no mistake, just because these guys aren't shredding it out on electric guitars AC/DC-style, doesn't mean they can't play; their skill and precision is immaculate. This isn't the muddled, messy music of rock stars who use feedback or drum beats to cover their sins; this is clean, precise folk music that will relax and energize you simultaneously. The title of their debut studio album seems extraordinarily fitting: Quiet is the New Loud.