Meer - 2024 - Wheels Within Wheels

(60:09; Karisma Records)

Track list:
1. Chains of Changes 6:20
2. Behave 5:48
3. Take Me to the River 5:05
4. Come to Light 5:08
5. Golden Circle 4:34
6. To What End 5:34
7. Today Tonight Tomorrow 5:55
8. World of Wonder 1:30
9. Mother 5:24
10. Something in the Water 5:33
11. This Is the End 9:18

Line-up:
Johanne-Margrethe Kippersund Nesdal - vocals
Knut Kippersund Nesdal - vocals, keyboards
Eivind Strömstad - guitars, keyboards, programming, vocals
Aasa Ree - violin, vocals
Ingvild Nordstoga Sandvik - viola, vocals
Ole Gjöstöl - piano, keyboards, programming, organ, vocals
Morten Strypet - bass, vocals
Mats Fjeld Lillehaug - drums, percussion, vocals


Prolusion.
Norwegian band Meer has a history that goes back to 2008 or thereabouts, but didn't take the Meer moniker in use until sometime around 2015. From that point on the band have gone from strength to strength, with three albums to their name so far that in each case have harvested superlatives from inside as well as outside of the progressive rock universe. "Wheels Within Wheels" is their most recent studio album, and was released by Norwegian label Karisma Records towards the end of August 2024.

Analysis.
In many ways it is fair to describe the landscapes explored by Meer as a distinctly accessible variety of progressive rock. The band is fond of their melodies and harmonies, and while presumably intricate and challenging to perform they tend to gloss over such aspects of the material and have chosen to focus on the melodies and harmonies from instrumentalists and vocalists alike. They have also rather vitalized the manner in which orchestral textures can be applied to music, making these elements come across as a delightful contemporary expansion of the compositions rather than being an effect that comes with clear-cut references to classical music or old school orchestral rock music.

There is a drive and energy in these compositions that is captivating and compelling all the way through. In part because the band are really good at making use of the ebb and flow structure that ensure that there is always movement and contrast present in the landscapes explored, but also because they often combine this feature with a bit of a gradual build up. What I would describe as the big finale is a commonplace occurrence in many of these songs, with many compositions reaching a dramatic high close to or at the very end. Elegant sections with pop music sensibilities and recurring alternations between these and more energetic and harder rock sections that pack more of a punch are staples here, with majestic passages that may also be hard, tight and energetic usually appearing after the halfway point of the songs.

The vocals are an essential factor here too, with the different vocalists having a very good ear for when a careful and delicate mode of delivery is called for and when a more powerful emotional voice is needed. With a bit of distortion and additional aggression applied here and there, as on the brilliantly theatrical and dramatic big finale of the big finale song 'This Is the End', an almost 10 minute long delightful creation that by rights should be the concluding number in a massive rock opera venture of the kind that has a big budget behind it. And that we get some stunning vocal harmonies along the way most certainly merits a mention too.

The manner in which Meer applies orchestral textures here is one that I'm rather enamoured with. The impression I get is that they use these textures more in a post-rock manner than anything else, and with songs that in many ways are structured in a similar manner as post-rock compositions too, this adds a bit of that same trajectory of impressions as I get when I listen to a post-rock band. The tension of the build-up or multiple build-ups and the striking beauty of the orchestral textures used in such a manner and the striking contrast to both a gentler wandering piano or a darker toned and harder edged guitar. Or other instruments given prominent roles in the different songs. In some ways one might say that this is a rock opera pulling in traits from the post-rock universe, and blend this combination with a liberal dose of pop music sensibilities.

Conclusion.
Meer is a band that have impressed me ever since I first came across them. The songs are captivating, the albums are well produced, the vocals are of the highest quality and there isn't a moment here where I find my self thinking that there is anything lacking on any level. This latest album of theirs is a solid production through and through, and with a high amount of songs that grab my attention from the start and keep it at full level until the very end. Orchestral style progressive rock with a fine balance between delicate moments and high energy explosions, explored inside a context with a high degree of pop music sensibilities and for my sake at least with many automatic associations towards what a very good rock opera should sound like in a perfect world. This is a likely contender for album of the year for many people inside as well as outside of the progressive rock universe I suspect, and is at minimum a production that should be noted as a "must listen to" album on a widespread basis. 

Olav "Progmessor" Björnsen, August 2024

Links:
https://www.facebook.com/MEERmusikk
https://www.karismarecords.no/