Erlend Oye: Legao (Bubbles)

 |   |  <1 min read

Erlend Oye: Bad Guy Now
Erlend Oye: Legao (Bubbles)

So here's how it goes in my Elsewhere world. A few months ago a friend was in Berlin somewhere, saw this guy Erlend Oye and his band, loved it, mentioned Elsewhere to the merchandising person after the gig and . . .

Subsequently this CD showed up.

"Clearly he seeks world domination," said my pal when I told him.

I also told him . . . err, yes, Elsewhere was actually aware of Mr Oye because he was The Whitest Boy Alive and we'd reviewed two of his/their albums here.

All my pal's references -- Boz Scaggs, reggae, minimalism etc -- we cited  . . . but he also said of the live show, "a Norwegian Paul Kelly?", a Roger McGuinn on six string . . .

He also noted he was the oldest man in the audience.

So clearly Oye -- who was also in Kings of Convenience (remember their album Quiet is the New Loud which was announcing the Next Big Movement back in the day?) -- is getting a name among Euro-hipsters.

I hear a kind of folksy, acoustic, hurt-heart Belle and Sebastian/Sneaky Feelings in places, lotsa nice songs which don't really grip, really lovely melodies that Lloyd Cole would appreciate . . .

Not always guitar-driven, and the piano ballads are among the best. Although I am increasingly unforgiving of that reggae thing.

But by golly can he enunciate in a way that few manage. Every word crystal-clear . . . and that's the Scandinavian education system for you.

They should be down here giving elecution lessons. Thaddabe-awesum, bro'.

Nice. 

Share It

Your Comments

Jos - Dec 8, 2014

I like this guy, the swirly organ is nice too. I did not realize he was the whitest boy, makes sense now. :)

post a comment

More from this section   Music at Elsewhere articles index

Paul Kelly: Nature (Universal)

Paul Kelly: Nature (Universal)

The first important things to be said about Nature – Paul Kelly's 24thstudio album – is that the first two singles, With The One I Love and A Bastard Like Me (For Charlie Perkins), are... > Read more

Various: Beyond Bollywood (SDJ)

Various: Beyond Bollywood (SDJ)

The title here might suggest a compilation album that is taking you past the standard Bollywood soundtrack music, but it is actually misleading: it simply sweeps up another very common style, that... > Read more

Elsewhere at Elsewhere

Elsewhere Art . . . Soviet-era free jazz

Elsewhere Art . . . Soviet-era free jazz

This collage-cum-Letraset is positively ancient, it dates back to the Soviet-era when jazz was not just supressed in Russia and its satellites but free jazz was way underground and tapes of it were... > Read more

King Sunny Ade: Synchro System (1983)

King Sunny Ade: Synchro System (1983)

Given the long (and often shameful) history Britain has had with various parts of Africa from colonial times, it comes as a surprise that this album -- from 1983 no less -- was the first pop album... > Read more