Rules

by The Whitest Boy Alive

Overview

Erlend Oye 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 Roeyksopp'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 Oye 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 Oye'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

Product Details

Release Date:	02/26/2009
Label:	Asound-Bubbles / Bubbles
UPC:	0673799210211
Rank:	36419

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Keep a Secret
2. Intentions
3. Promise Less or Do More
4. Time Bomb
5. Rollercoaster Ride
6. High on the Heels
7. Keep a Secret
8. High on the Heels
9. Intentions
10. Timebomb
11. 1517

Disc 2

12. 1517
13. Gravity
14. Promise Less or Do More
15. Dead End
16. Island

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Whitest Boy Alive   Primary Artist
Erlend Oye   Guitar,Vocals
Marcin Oez   Bass,Vocals
D. Todorova   Vocals
S. Rubi   Vocals
Daniel Nentwig   Crumar,Synclavier,Fender Rhodes
Sebastian Maschat   Drums

Technical Credits

The Whitest Boy Alive   Composer,Audio Production
Erlend Oye   Composer,Group Member
Marcin Oez   Composer,Group Member
Norman Nitzsche   Mixing
Bo Kondren   Mastering
Daniel Nentwig   Group Member
Sebastian Maschat   Composer,Group Member
George McFetridge   Artwork