I Was a King
Union Hall, 5.31.09

By the time, singer Frode Strømstads introduced “Norman Bleik” as the next song, it was more than clear that Norway’s I Was a King is heavily influenced by Teenage Fanclub. And how could you blame them really? Norman Blake and co. have written some of the best songs of the last two decades. As I Was A King’s homage to Teenage Fanclub “Norman Bleik” was a good one. They seemed to get the sound just right, and it was possibly the best song of their set on Sunday night at Union Hall.

At first glance,the set list looked pretty long, but that was put in perspective by the brevity of the songs. Short songs were one of the defining qualities of another of the band’s greatest influences, Guided By Voices.

I Was a King wears their influences on their sleeves, and Guided by Voices and Teenage Fanclub are a good foundation for any new band. The Norwegian’s don’t quite have that special something of either of those 90s rock icons, but with the foundation built, they have the potential for really good things in the future.