I remember buying Quiet is the New Loud, the 2001 debut album by Norwegian duo Kings of Convenience, with the highest of hopes.
Here was a band drawing comparisons to Belle and Sebastian, Elliott Smith and Simon & Garfunkel, recording the kind of acoustic, melancholy soft pop songs that set my heart aflutter. Hell, their album cover even looked like a Belle and Sebastian record.
What I don’t remember is what any of the songs sound like, or at what point I gave up trying to learn them.
Listening now, I can see why. While the overall sound is right up my alley — all hushed tones and finger picked guitars — I don’t hear any memorable melodies. Or anything memorable at all, really.
The duo released two more albums over the next eight years before moving on to other projects. They remained pretty big in Norway throughout their run, though they never made much of an impact on my side of the world.
Even though she’s only giving me pain
I’ll be on my knees to feed her
Spend a day to make her smile again
Even though I’ll never need her
Even though she’s only giving me pain
As the world is soft around her
Leaving me with nothing to disdain
Even though I’m not her minder
Even though she doesn’t want me around
I am on my feet to find her
To make sure that she is safe and sound
Even though I’m not her minder
Even though she doesn’t want me around
I am on my feet to find her
To make sure that she is safe from harm
The sun sets on the war
The day breaks and everything is new
The sun sets on the war
The day breaks and everything is new
Everything is new
Everything is new
Everything is new
The sun sets on the war
The day breaks and everything is new
Meet Me In Montauk 
The songs may not be memorable, but this is certainly easy on the ears and rather lovely.