Wheels Within Wheels is the third album from MEER. The Norwegian, progressive pop-rock pantheon return with eleven fresh tracks to spice up your 2024. MEER are Johanne-Margrethe Kippersund Nesdal on lead/backing vocals, Knut Kippersund Nesdal on lead/backing vocals/keyboards, Eivind Strømstad on electric/acoustic guitars/electric baritone guitar/additional keyboards/programming/backing vocals, Åsa Ree on violin/backing vocals, Ingvild Nordstoga Sandvik on viola/backing vocals, Ole Gjøstøl on acoustic grand piano/keyboards/programming/electric organ/church organ/backing vocals, Morten Strypet on electric bass/backing vocals and Mats Fjeld Lillehaug on drums/percussion/backing vocals. The majority of the lyrics are by Johanne-Margrethe Kippersund Nesdal and Knut Kippersund Nesdal with the exception of the song Mother and This Is the End with the additional song-writing skills of Eivind Strømstad. I always welcome some flute in my musical adventures and this time around it is provided by Andrea Brennodden Rosenlund on Come To Light, Mother and This Is the End. We also see some vibraphone added on World Of Wonder by Lars Gärtner Fremmerlid and some backing vocals on Come To Light by Liv Elvira Kippersund Larsson, Signe Josefin Kippersund Larsson and Simon Johannes Nyqvist. My first introduction to the band was their previous album, Playing House which I thought was fantastic. So how does this latest release match up? First song, Chain Of Changes is a brilliant way to open things up. The second single from the album slowly builds before riding off into the sunset with its western flavoured rhythm. I love the line "run out of places to run out of". This is a band that know how to pen a song that gets stuck in your brain for days, whilst touching your soul at exactly the same time. There is also a lovely video that accompanies the music which is well worth a watch. Next we have Behave, which is another wonderfully catchy song. It really does groove. "WHY DON'T YOU BEHAVE". It's safe to say that this album is already exceeding expectations. Lovely piano opens Take Me To The River. It's such a delicate opening to this song with strings and soft vocals melting perfectly together. It's yet another wonderful showcase of dynamic songwriting from this bunch of talented souls. The last half of the song is a glorious explosion of audio colour. Come To Light feels positive and bright and huge. For me, this is anthemic and life affirming music. There's also a lovely, live, acoustic version of this song on YouTube, which makes me love it even more. We then come to Golden Circle which is my favourite song on the album at the time of writing. It was our first taste of this album and it did not disappoint. There is a video to accompany the song as well, so do give that a watch. The rhythm of this tune just makes me want to get up out of my seat and dance. Certainly a band that are high up on my "must see live soon" list, as they have so far escaped me. To What End has a really cool sound to it with the chorus having a real fire in its belly. Today Tonight Tomorrow was the third and final album taster. With song writing like this, how are they not already huge? It's scandalous! The way in which they combine vocals, strings and piano just hits the spot for me. Prepare yourself for the guitar solo at the end. In an alternate universe, I would've loved to hear Frank Sinatra singing this song. There's a real theatrical romance to their sound, as World Of Wonder demonstrates. There's grandiose piano at the front and ghostly vocals in the background, creating a haunting atmosphere. It's brief, but acts as the perfect companion to Mother. Possibly the most melancholic song on offer, but no less catchy, it's another standout piece of music...even if it does make me cry. The shift into Something In The Water once again demonstrates how the band are unafraid to mix up feelings and dynamics from track to track, keeping things fresh. They really know how to build a song up and make it sound larger than life, layering vocals, strings and a solid band foundation to a fine point. This Is The End is just that. It's the last track. It is also the heaviest and longest of the songs on offer here. The energy levels are up and the guitars are more in your face than on previous tracks - I like seeing this side of the band. Through to its explosive ending, it closes the album in style and just leaves me wanting more. Now I know that might sound greedy, but that is simply how good this album is. MEER have outdone themselves here, showcasing a streamlined blend of progressive rock with an accessible edge. This certainly surpasses their previous output and has got to be one of my favourite releases of the year so far. They have bags of cross-over potential, so let's see how far into the stratosphere this album takes them. ****+ Rickalonius Monk Where to buy? |
