Still very prolific, after 'Look At You Now' dating from 2023, the 'Flower Kings' released a new album at the beginning of May, 'Love', which, as its name suggests, offers us compositions on the theme of love, and which, musically, takes us, once again, into the musical world of the Swedes, refined progressive in mostly calm atmospheres, with magnificent vocal harmonies from the two leaders 'Hans Fröberg' and 'Roine Stolt', who have now integrated keyboardist 'Lalle Larsson' into the line-up, the rest of the group still being made up of 'Michael Stolt' on bass and 'Mirko DeMaio' on drums. Like its predecessor, 'Love' is quite dense, with 70 minutes offered for our enjoyment.
First of all, as we are now accustomed to, 'Love' only really reveals itself after several listens. Although this latest album is very melodic and doesn't contain very long developments, the diversity of moods is still present, and the complex constructions of certain compositions may put some people off. For example, if you stop at the opener 'We Claim The Moon' because you don't like it, it's important to note that it's not at all representative of the album as a whole, being the most energetic composition on the album. The rest offers generally much more serene atmospheres and 'The Elder', which follows, is a very beautiful title of more than 10 minutes which takes you on a journey with a 'Hans Fröberg' who gives us a moving vocal performance and 'Roine Stolt' joins him to enchant us with magnificent vocal harmonies, 'Lalle Larsson' showing all his talent as a keyboardist to accompany the whole. 'How Can You Leave Us Now?' continues in this soft and serene progressive by bringing a certain melancholy and, after the short interlude 'World Spinning' again highlighting 'Lalle Larsson', 'Burning Both Edges' is still a beautiful moment of listening, with this beautiful vocal complicity between Hans and Roine. The middle of the album offers us shorter compositions with 'The Rubble' which shows a sensual side, reminding me, in certain places, of the festive atmospheres of 'Santana', while keeping a good dose of progressive, then, new instrumental interlude with 'Kaiser Razor' and its catchy rhythm, followed by 'The Pheonix' and 'The Promise' which add two short titles to be enjoyed quietly with headphones, the clear atmosphere being conducive to escape. The final part of the album contains longer tracks, starting with 'Love Is', which highlights the eclectic progressive side of the 'Flower Kings' with a melodious middle section reminiscent of the 'Beatles' songs, surrounded by two more unbridled sections. Then, 'Walls of Shame' returns to a more sedate atmosphere with a magnificent guitar solo with the wah-wah sounds of 'Roine Stolt'. 'Considerations' closes 'Love' with a long development that sums up the whole thing very well. The vocal harmonies are magnificent, to which we can add two remarkable solos, one on keyboards and the other on guitar, reminding us that 'The Flower Kings' are among the cream of the crop of progressive bands, even if in this latest baby of the Swedes, the length of the compositions remains rather limited.
In summary, between progressive flights and more concise pieces, 'Love' is yet another excellent compromise between complexity and accessibility, which will undoubtedly allow some to discover the 'Flower Kings' who, for thirty years now, have been giving us very good progressive music with multiple influences, making them one of the most active groups in this style of music... | |
