The Flower Kings: Look At You Now

The Flower Kings: Look At You Now

When I first heard the newest album from The Flower Kings, "Look At  You Now", in 2023, I knew that it was going to finish high in my top ten of the year. Turns out that not only did it finish high, it finished at the top. The Flower Kings has long been a favorite band of mine, and I've loved their recent output, but this album is something special. I think it might be my favorite album from them since "Unfold the Future". This thing is a progressive rock masterpiece, and one that I have come back to many times since pushing play that very first time.

The album kicks off in that typical Flower Kings fashion, with some great keyboard runs, Roine's instantly recognizable guitar, and of course his distinctive vocals. If I had to sequence this album, I would have chosen the same opener. This is a great way to open the album, and it segues to only my favorite song on the disc, but quite possibly one of my very favorite TFK tunes, "The Dream". This song is such a beautiful, and melodic track, with some of the best vocal melodies I've heard in a very long time, with Roine and Hasse. This song is absolutely breathtaking, from the vocals, to the almost ethereal guitar work, and those keyboards are just perfect. 

Most of the album's thirteen tracks clock in at under the six minute mark, so I believe this may be the most concise Flower Kings album in that respect. The closest we get to an epic track is the closing track, which also happens to be the title-track, clocking in at just under twelve minutes. Maybe it was a conscious effort to make a more easily accessible album, or maybe it was just coincidence, and they were just trying to serve the song. Whatever the reason, at nearly 70 minutes long, I do find this album very easy to digest. 

There's some great stuff on this album. "Hollow Man" is a fun tune, with some great melodies, and an almost creepy sort of vibe in the verses (reminds me a bit of the first disc of "Stardust We Are". At least, I think it could sit nicely on that album). The instrumentation here is very typical of the Flower Kings, which makes it feel almost like an old friend. "Dr. Ribedeaux" is another song that could easily sit on any number of the band's sixteen albums. A melodically driven instrumental, this one is a short, but beautifully written tune. 

"Mother Earth" showcases the amazing vocals of Michael Stolt. He has a deeper voice than Hasse and Roine, but I really enjoy his tune. I'm not sure the other guys would have sounded quite right with this tune, and I think it elevates it to something pretty special. Musically, it's very typical of that Flower Kings sound, and ends up being one of my faves on the album. Some would say the sound is a bit formulaic of the band, but I find nothing wrong with that at all. Their sound is what made me love The Flower Kings in the first place. "The Queen" is a bit of a stand out track here, kicking off with some mandolin, this one has a classical feel that I really like. There's also a killer guitar solo here. This track almost feels like it's setting you up to take you through an entire Disney movie. This little instrumental tune, with a whole lot of melody, was wonderfully written.

"The Light In Your Eyes" is another fantastic piece, with some fantastically performed bass, the guitar and keyboards working together to hold a beautiful melody, and a vocal performance that somehow steals the entire show. This one is another great song, and another highlight of the album, with it's focus on vocals, it's a melodic masterpiece. "Seasons End" is quite a bit different from the previous track, kicking off with some organ work, before the guitar takes over for a bit, leading us into the first verse of the song. This is another song with some great melodies, both musically and vocally. "Scars" has a blues-y sort of feel, with some guitar work that would impress even the highest of guitar Gods. Add some expertly played orangs, and powerfully delivered vocals, and you have the recipe for another highlight on an album full of highlights. 

"Stronghold" brings images of the prog rock of yesterday, but with a bit more edge. Its epic feel, delivered with guitars and keyboards, puts the Flower Kings inside any master-class of progressive rock's 70's heyday. There's crunch here, there's melody, there's even one hell of a fantastically performed instrumental section. It's everything I like in a well-written progressive rock song. Roine's vocals sound just amazing here. I swear the guy sounds better every year. And even though the track is under seven minutes, it has an epic feel, and I find myself wishing it could go on another ten minutes or so.

Next up are a couple shorter, more concise tunes. "Father Sky" is a fast paced, progressive-rock tune, with some great keyboard work, and of course some great guitar playing, as is to be expected by the Flower Kings. There's some great vocal harmonies on this one, even if there aren't a lot in the way of lyrics, the lyrics that are here are sung just beautifully. "Day For Peace" comes in with an almost march style drum pattern, and sparse instrumentation in the background, before Roine comes in with a beautiful vocal performance. There's even a guest female vocalist that really helps fill in the vocals of this very melodic, and hauntingly beautiful track. There's no crunch here, just an epic feel, and a fantastic melody. 

The album closes with the longest song on the disc, "Look At You Now", clocking in at 12 minutes isn't long in the grand scheme of the band's catalog, but here it is by far the longest track. And even though it may not have the length of some of the longer Flower Kings songs, it's not any less epic. In fact, it still manages to go through plenty of mood changes, and is a fine example of just how great this band are at not only performing music, but writing it as well. In addition to some very Flower King's sounding moments musically, the vocals are also that beautiful style that TFK are certainly known for. There are quieter moments, faster and heavier moments, and through it all, it's a melodic beauty.

Since The Flower Kings came "out of retirement" in 2019, they have managed to record and release four albums, and each one is just fantastic, proving that there is not shortage of talent among this band of musicians. This album is so good, I can't wait to see what they come up with next. But for now, I'm happy to have this wonderful album to tide me over.