2023-09-08 06:00:43
The Flower Kings – Look At You Now
Origin: Sweden
Release: 08.09.2023
Label: InsideOut Music
Duration: 01:07:35
Genre: Progressive Rock
As part of last year’s and this year’s reissues of the classic albums by The Flower Kings and their touring activities is a successor to the 2022 monster album By Royal Decree was just a matter of time. Now is Look At You Now finished and finds its way to the listeners.
Are the Swedes defending grandfather rights or are there even innovations from the company? Proud? A look at the line up reveals that the long-time companion is on bass Jonas Reingold has now apparently been completely eliminated and the activities of Michael Stolt were completely taken over. Musically there is Look At You Now basically not much new to report. The previously released teasers of the Flower Kings’ sixteenth album were promising, for example The Dreamthat you HERE finds.
A band that has retroprog and virtuous music-making in its DNA shouldn’t be expected to make any major innovations. The pioneers and pioneers of a new generation of progressive rock bands are still doing bravely these days and playing their richly arranged, symphonic rock music with flying colors. Sometimes highly melodic like in the opener Beginners Eyes, sometimes paired with a good shot of jazz rock as in Mother Earth.
A monolith in uncertain times
Personally, I like the warm yet transparent sound of the record, which is also the case with Mastermind’s last records and various side projects Roine Stolt adorned, such as the wonderful collaboration with Jon Anderson. Even if the long track of its name Look At You Now Although it’s not a central element of the record in terms of length, it stands out with a mix of folk and symphonic art rock.
Give especially in difficult times The Flower Kings provide the sensitive progger with a safe haven and provide him with an album that can definitely claim a place in the upper echelons of the Swedes’ oeuvre of the Swedes’ discography, which is full of great classics, and fully meets all expectations.
Demonstrate musical consistency The Flower Kings on what is now her sixteenth work Look At You Now. And at the highest level, because the album is bursting with blissful melodies and warm songs. 9 / 10
Line Up
Roine Stolt – vocals, ukulele, guitar, keyboards
Hasse Fröberg – vocals, acoustic guitar
Michael Stolt – bass, acoustic guitar
Zach Kamins – piano, organ, synthesizer, mellotron, orchestration
Mirko DeMaio – drums, percussion
Alex Reed musician
Hasse Bruniusson – Percussion
Lalle Larsson – Synthesizer
Jannica Lund – Hintergrundgesang
Marjana Semkina – Gesang
Jörgen Sälde – Nylon Guitar
Tracklist
01. Beginners Eyes
02. The Dream
03. Hollow Man
04. Dr. Ribedeaux
05. Mother Earth
06. The Queen
07. The Light In Your Eyes
08. Seasons End
09. Scars
10. Stronghold
11. Father Sky’
12. Day For Peace
13. Look at You Now
Links
Facebook The Flower Kings
Also on Soundmagnet.eu
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