The Norwegian band I Was a King blend various forms of guitar pop (shoegaze, jangle pop, power pop) into a warm and melodic sound built around chiming, sometimes blown-out, guitars and rich vocal harmonies. Their initial recordings leaned more in the direction of noise (especially 2009's self-titled album), but their sound began to mellow and deepen, especially on the albums (You Love It Here and Slow Century) where the group was helped in the studio by Teenage Fanclub's Norman Blake.
The band was formed in Oslo by singer/songwriter/guitarist Frode Strømstad in 2006. He team...