The Whitest Boy Alive are one part Norwegian, based in Berlin and absolutely, 100%, off the chart brilliant. They look like the coolest Librarians, wear huge glasses and play a perfect concoction of laid-back funk mixed with some battered organs and have a lead vocalist whose voice could make even the most self-aware hipster lose their cool. Speaking of the lead vocalist, you might recognise that lilting croon seeing as it belongs to Erlend Oye, one half of Kings Of Convenience. Or you might not, they aren't exactly what you'd call a household name. They were at the forefront of some awful NME-sponsored nu-folk revolution, which may explain why Erlend decided to venture away from folk.
The Whitest Boy Alive (great band name by the way) are about to release their second album, entitled Rules. It's been nearly three years since their debut, Dreams, and I for one have missed them. Well, not consciously missed them every day since 2006, that would be ridiculous, but they're a band that you like, then you forget, then they announce a new album and you fall in love all over again. I have been listening to Dreams a lot recently in anticipation, and what do you know, a couple of new songs have appeared on youtube.
This is called 'Courage':
Next up is 'Island', which closes the album and runs to nearly seven minutes:
They're like a more relaxed The Rapture, but with better songs. Less is more people, less is more.
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