ISLANDS

Another great, yet un-memorable Flower Kings album. I fell in love with The Flower Kings many years ago, and I am always interested in what they're doing. This latest release, "Islands", really showcases what they are so good at, which is top notch playing and employing great prog characteristics. You will find all of that here, for sure. If you're already a fan of the band and that is what you want, this album should satisfy you. With all of that said, this album contains nothing new from this great band. After several listens I could not tell you which song does what or hum a single tune. There is no song I look forward to hearing again. I cannot recall any riffs. They pretty much just played it safe and did what they've done many times in the past. Took no risks. Nothing new explored. A sad trend affecting a lot of great prog bands. So, 3 stars for a great normal Flower Kings album, but no 4th or 5th star due to nothing out of the ordinary that stands out from anything else.