Review Summary: The pop prog kings
Almost 30 years after their inception, The Flower Kings remain just as hungry to explore their own ‘70s-inspired progressive rock territory. A catalogue reissue program allowed Roine Stolt and co. to rediscover their early highlights, infusing some of the atmosphere and ideas into last year’s mammoth
By Royal Decree. The front man’s brother, Michael, rejoined as longtime bassist Jonas Reingold chose to continue his musical career with Steve Hackett. The former’s playing style might not be as technical overall, yet it brought back the playfulness to the current output. Soon after, keyboard player Zach Kamins departed from the group, leaving them as a quartet for the following recording sessions. Nevertheless, there isn’t a noticeable change in sound, especially on the electronic part, as solos and chords abound as usual. What is different this time though, is the shorter length of the tracks, perhaps inspired by 2020’s
Islands, which I personally found the most enjoyable affair since the reformation in 2018 until now. Most of the tracks here clock at 5 minutes or fewer, thus offering a more immediate and easily digestible version of the Swedish act.
Despite considerable trimming, you won’t find any of the numbers lacking, as they promptly deliver all the group’s sonic strengths. First single, “Beginner’s Eyes” represents very well what
Look At You Now is all about
: joyous rhythms, lovely sing-alongs and an overall upbeat vibe. Same goes for its follow-up, “The Dream”, a gorgeous ballad with warm tones and croons from the two vocalists, Hasse and Roine. The lyrics are spicier than the music this time, since they most often talk about the current political, social and environmental issues. However, a layer of optimism is added to them, as we’ve been accustomed to over the years. Meanwhile, “Hollow Man” enchants us with smooth piano progressions and orchestral elements over the waltzing bass lines and steady drum patterns. “Mother Earth” follows with chunkier guitar leads, whereas “The Light in Your Eyes” echoes the dreamy tones and mid-tempo grooves from 2000’s
Space Revolver. As there isn’t much room for detours, many of these tunes will stick upon a first or second listen. Hasse Froberg sings his heart out once more, the passion in his voice remaining almost unrivaled among peers. “Scars” might be the only “darker” cut on the LP, led by a sturdy bass. The synth leads nicely intertwine with the guitars throughout over some inspired drum fills and breaks. It all leads to the grand finale, the 12-minute title track where The Flower Kings fully display their prowess. The opening acoustic guitars gradually evolve into a lush, Eagles-like sing-along, only to speed things up halfway then break into a gentle, pastoral segment. As expected, things take off again, rising to a grandiose climax, followed by a slow fade out. For them this is a mid-length number, so even here you could say they kept things relatively brief, but interesting.
Overall,
Look At You Now instantly became the easiest and most enjoyable album The Flower Kings have crafted in a decade or so. Most of the songs share lovely parts with really tight, melodic vocals, while the instrumental ones don’t stray too much into prog bonanza. There are bits of everything the group covered so far, but this is probably the poppiest entry in their catalog in terms of catchiness and tracks length. This is an easy entry point into their massive discography if you were looking for one. At the same time, it proves just how well honed their chemistry is in the current line-up, even rivaling some of the early favorites.
