Review by Lydverket in Norwegian, translated to English below
Robyn Hitchcock and I Was A King - by:Larm, Mono
Legend Status Report
Robyn Hitchcock has chosen us, and Frode Strømstad. Wise choice.

Robyn Rowan Hitchcock is regularly declared a genius and called an arch-British jewel in inner life bibles such as Mojo and Word without him getting a place on the cover for that reason. The cool-hero stamp he's had for about 30 years doesn't wash off, and the man seems as headstrong and idiosyncratic now as when he gave the world Syd Barrett-inspired and smart guitar pop with The Soft Boys when the world really wanted Punk Rock.

In recent years we have been given an insurmountable amount of previously unreleased material to listen to, while giants such as John Paul Jones, Nick Lowe and Johnny Marr guest on the new records. REM's Peter Buck has regular work as a guitarist in Hitchcock's touring band, the Venus 3. But it is still Hitchcock's very own textual universe that gives meat to records that can otherwise sound too traditional and straight forward. Celebrated visit is nice to tempt with, but rarely something to lean on if you are going to make a similar record.

Now Hitchcock has gone into the studio with I Was A King's Frode Strømstad in the producer's chair, apparently following an ever-increasing fascination with Norway, and there are reasons to believe that it has been a wise choice. Tonight we will see him play with his new friends from the Lionheart Brothers and Loch Ness Mouse, as well as Åleskjær.

The short time on stage is shared brotherly . I Was A King do their cash tunes as the sound is cranked into place, with Robyn Hitchcock in place from the first chord. He easily finds a place for his pointed Fender Telecaster in I Was A King's safe haven. It sounds pleasant, but lacks intensity, and is best on the fourth song, which is new and will be released this year, we are promised.

Hitchcock opens his set with "Kingdom of Love" from Soft Boy's great record Underwater Moonlight . A song that was too complex to become a hit, and which it is still difficult to imagine that anyone else could write. Hitchcock is a long and somewhat strange, rather charismatic leading figure. With snowmobile boots and a silver-grey bangs in constant motion, he talks about Jo Nesbø's writing and Oslo in the 80s, and that his new record is called Tromsø, kaptein , a title he is nowhere near being able to pronounce.

The new songs promise a step in the right direction , inventiveness instead of traditional solutions. We can hope that the upcoming record is just as vibrant, even if it is populated by other musicians than we see on stage tonight. Finally, "Goodnight, Oslo" from 2009 has a new verse in stuttering New Norwegian and a finer drive than ever.

Robyn has already given life in the sea and food on the table a life in indie rock , while also telling about sex and death and you and me without using a twist you've heard before. I'm still not entirely sure what it is about Norway that fascinates Robyn Hitchcock, but now that he has a very good rhythm section here, and certainly a handful of new followers, we can hope for a work and residence permit and support from the cassette tax fund with subsequent songs about things we didn't know about ourselves.