Friday evening was a mad house. Getting into the station wasn’t the issue, as I expect it will be in the coming weeks now that winter is upon us; it was the transition. Transitioning from one on-air personality to another is a bit nerve-wracking. The quarters are cramped, the mic is hot, and you have to do your best not to step on their toes as they wrap their show and you begin yours. And when it’s time to fly, you have to remember which buttons should …

The self-titled release by I Was A King was pretty solid, but Old Friends is another beast entirely. The album is a stunning portrayal of original pop music. Heavily-strummed acoustic guitars are complemented by pop vocals and offset by thick brass orchestration. And the band forays into experimentation of occasion.
“Echoes” features highly prominent trombone and erratic staccato percussive drumming; this is a commonality on Old Friends. Throughout, the album the band’s unique rhythmic section adds punchy, precision percussion using the entire trap set. The added …

Playing power pop in the vein of Apples in Stereo, or perhaps more so of Teenage Fanclub, I Was A King hits the road later this month in support of their self-titled sophomore release. The Norwegian group will hit the states late this month, kicking the shows off in Chicago and winding across the east coast and circling the states before winding things up here in Seattle.

I Was A King (MySpace) is a Norwegian pop band with power pop tendencies. Their hook-filled songs are packed with lovable guitar riffs, noteworthy female-fronted vocals, and a very large sound. Their new single is titled “It’s All You” and it features a near classical, minute-long piano introduction by Sufjan Stevens. When the percussion and guitars kick in, and the song comes full circle, the feeling one gets is… well, powerful.