YAY!

Motorpsycho is a very prolific, eclectic Prog band from Norway. They've been around since 1991, when they started out as more of a punkish grunge band, but then started showing more progressive rock elements by the mid-nineties, while also maintaining aspects of psychedelic and indie rock. They've released a total of 26 albums over the years (and 14 in the last 15 years, with one almost every year!). They continue to feature a wide variety of different styles, genres, and influences, with their music ranging from ambient, minimalist, atmospheric space-rock to gentle acoustic pop to punkish rock all the way to full-on metal, sometimes all on the same album, sometimes separate sounds and feel for each album. So, you never quite know what you're gonna get from Motorpsycho. For this newest album, the band surprises once again with a whole album of mostly acoustic pop and indie folk-rock. songs, and it is fantastic from start to finish! Great melodies, arrangements, and stylish flourishes throughout. And although it has been called an acoustic album, that is not really true, as although most songs do have at least some acoustic guitar in them, many of the songs build throughout to reveal much more lush and symphonic arrangements by the end. The album starts off with the breezy indie pop of Cold & Bored, followed by the ballad Sentinels, which has a Simon & Garfunkel-esque feel to it. Next is Patterns, which is dreamy, richly textured pop that builds to a rousing conclusion. But the album really takes off with the fabulous Dank State, a bouncy acoustic ditty dealing with Norwegian politics, followed by W.C.A, which is a soaring, infectious pop song. However, the highlight of the album for me (and song of the summer, if not the entire year) is the magnificent Hotel Daedelus, the one song on the album that gets the full Prog treatment, a melding of mellotron-drenched orchestration of film soundtrack bombast coupled with a beautiful laid-back 60's-styled pop melody, highlighted by a soaring, scorching guitar solo. The album then finishes on a high note with The Rapture. What a delightful album, a real surprise, and one of my very favorite of the year. Just wonderful, and such a breath of fresh air amidst all the heaviness around. Best tracks: Hotel Daedelus, Dank State, W.C.A., Loch Meaningless & the Mull of Dull, Real Again. Rating: 4.5 stars