Sixteen studio albums in roughly 30 years together as a band...you can't say Sweden's The Flower Kings aren't anything other than prolific. Though Roine Stolt & Co.'s latest album isn't a double this time around (thank goodness!), at just under 70-minutes long, Look at You Now is another long one folks, and for the longtime fan, this new release will give you everything you love and crave from the band. Haven't been on board with TFK up till now? Well, Look at You Now won't change your mind. Oh, you haven't ever listened to these Swede's? Well, I'd say Look at You Now might not be the best place to start, but seeing as it's basically so similar to anything they've done over the last 15 years, it's not the worst thing to start here.
The good? Well, the 13 new songs on display here contain all the trademark elements that make The Flower Kings so appealing to so many people; Stolt's silky, sinewy lead guitar work, the dueling vocals between he and Hasse Froberg, the soaring harmonies, the wealth of noodly '70s styled prog keyboards, the extended arrangements that build and build, and the expert rhythms. Sounds like a recipe for success, right? Well, yes and no. With 16 studio albums, and a handful of them double albums, we've gotten a LOT of music from these guys in 30 years...maybe, just a bit too much. There's a sense of 'how is this any different from past TFK albums' all throughout this one, and while it's all performed admirably, after numerous spins, nothing here screams out 'now that's memorable, top notch Flower Kings', and, I really want it to be. Having been a fan of this band since the very beginning, it's disheartening that their last few albums just aren't striking a chord with me. Stolt's guitar playing is great, the vocal interplay is there as always, and the keys are majestic. But when the songs don't grab you, all those other things don't seem to matter much. "Hollow Man" is fun, "Beginner's Eyes" tries to deliver, falls just short, "Mother Earth" is kind of catchy in a Yes sort of way, "Scars" has some nice movements, but the rest just fails to elicit much excitement. Even the epic title track misses the mark, and for a band that generally delivers great longer pieces, this one contains some interesting sections, but could have easily been trimmed by a few minutes.
Overall, too much of Look at You Now just kind of drifts along at a mellow pace, features some nice playing, but is short on memorable hooks to keep you consistently engaged for its near 70-minute run time. A nice enough Flower Kings album, but far from top tier. Your mileage though, may vary.
Track Listing
01. Beginner’s Eyes (4:37)
02. The Dream (4:39)
03. Hollow Man (5:02)
04. Dr. Ribedeaux (3:04)
05. Mother Earth (4:18)
06. The Queen (5:28)
07. The Light in Your Eyes (5:48)
08. Seasons End (5:27)
09. Scars (5:29)
10. Stronghold (6:46)
11. Father Sky (3:08)
12. Day for Peace (3:14)
13. Look at You Now (11:49)
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