The Whitest Boy Alive

Will Hutchins writing for I V Y paris

Originating from the frosty climbs of Norway before installing themselves in the hardly any hotter city of Berlin, it’s no wonder that The Whitest Boy Alive decided to record their new album ‘Rules’ in sunny Mexico. An album that the quintet, lead by Erlend Øye of King’s of Convenience, are currently taking on the road around Euroland, gracing us with their geeky presence here on April 15th at La Maroquinerie.

When funksters wear cardigans and come from Scandinavia this is what they sound like. A slightly chilly but never completely chilled, driving flow of hi-hat heavy drum beats, Rhodes organs and hypnotic bass punctuated with staccato strikes of distortionless guitar and nicely polished off with a melodic stream of softly-softly singing which delivers Øye’s poignant lyrics.

The band’s original concept was to make entirely electronic music but somewhere along the way this idea was forsaken and they turned into a completely analogue band. One could almost describe the foursome as an analogue version of compatriots Röyksopp, be it one that causes slightly more involuntary foot tapping. In fact, that’s possibly the best way to describe them to a new listener.

The Whitest Boy Alive make music to which it is almost impossible to not commence some head nodding, foot tapping or any type of repetitive movement of a body part without getting overly carried away in throwing full-on, crazy dance floor shapes. That too is still a definite possibility, but I would say that the fairly minimal pop sound of these Nordic new wavers is better catered to a rather more relaxing dance routine.

The band have been steadily building a global fan base since their debut ‘Dreams’ was released in 2006 and music lovers around the world found that laborious marches to work would unwittingly turn into groovy struts the moment gems like ‘Burning’ and ‘The Golden Cage’ flicked onto their ipod screens. A heavy schedule of touring Europe and Mexico kept the enthused fans coming and now second time around they’re ready for the fun to begin again. The Whitest Boy Alive are the greatest Norwegian nerd funk band you’ll ever hear.

April 15th at La Maroquinerie.