Album review: THE FLOWER KINGS – Islands

Inside Out [Release date: 30 October 2020]

There’s a debate that rages in a certain music magazine as to what is and what isn’t “prog” – where much pointless navel-gazing and hand-wringing occurs in trying to decide whether the likes of Tears For Fears are “prog” or not. Who cares?

What can be declared, however, is that Sweden’s finest, The Flower Kings, practically define the genre – for this is what should be termed “hardcore” prog, where nothing is quite what it seems and nothing, and I mean nothing, hangs around long enough for the listener’s attention to wander for one second.

A lot of progressive rock fans at the “hard” end of the prog spectrum (who follow King Crimson’s every note for example) would argue that this is what prog is all about – those at the more melodic end of said spectrum, and I include myself in this grouping, find it somewhat irksome.

Recorded during the Covid lockdown, with individual members squirting their contributions down the line, the album lacks the cohesiveness that tends to occur when bands assemble in a studio, this being compounded by the sprawling total of 21 tracks over a double album.

That’s not to say that ‘Islands’ is a bad album, it’s not – there are sections where the band really shines – it’s just that condensing it to a single album would have made it so much better.

Unlike a lot of previous TFK albums where twenty-minute-plus workouts are de-rigeur, a majority of the tracks on ‘Islands’ clock in around the four or five minute mark with just one, ‘Solaris’, getting even close to being an ‘epic’.

Things begin with a clutch of songs so derivative that by the time Track 6 begins you’re starting to wonder if they’re taking the piss – ‘Racing With The Blinders On’ is Tangerine Dream with guitars, ‘From The Ground’ is Yes, ‘Black Swan’ could be Queen (replete with Brian May-like guitar), ‘Morning News’ is the bastard child of The Beatles and Chris Rea (driving home for Christmas via Strawberry Fields) and ‘Broken’, another Yes homage with what sounds like The Simpson’s theme tune thrown in.

Much of what follows involves numerous ‘Spot The Band’ moments – Hawkwind, Santana, John Coltrane all take a bow and even The Pineapple Thief make an appearance on ‘Telescope’.

Highlights though include ‘Man In A Two Peace Suit’ which is a great excursion for Roine Stolt’s guitar pyrotechnics and the instrumental ‘Looking For Answers’ which begins with Gregorian chant and segues into Camel-like flute and guitar.

Throughout, the musicianship is as good as you would expect from a band who have been around as long as The Flower Kings, it’s just a shame that the pandemic denied them the opportunity to come together to sharpen things up and, perhaps, squeeze out the filler.

Moments of brilliance, but a bit too complex for all but the ideologically pure. ***

Review by Alan Jones

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.

Next session: Sunday 19 January

Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio

David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 1 December 2024.

UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 3 December 2024.

How to Listen Live?

Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)

Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”

Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.

More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com

Power Plays w/c 9 December 2024

In this sequence we play ‘The Best of 2024′ GRTR! reviewer selections

Featured Albums w/c 9 December 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2024 (Singer Songwriter)