All Is Well
Apollon, 2024
8/10
The sophomore album from the Oslo prog-rockers MesaVerde, the 9 songs here touch on pop ideas and are as colorful as they are memorable.
“Deep Time” begins the listen vocally strong, as rhythmic bass and crisp drums enter the rich climate, and “Pyramid Fucksnake” follows with buzzing keys, layered vocals and no lack of swirling melody.
In the middle, the calmer “Eva” radiates both mystery and warmth with some sci-fi nods, while “Tracing” balances thicker bouts with gentle ebbs of beauty via the harmonic, dreamy textures.
“Endurance” and “Story” exit the listen, where the former carries post-rock ideas thanks to the light instrumentation and waves of collaborative song craft, and the latter carries a hint of darkness amid the soothing bouts of reflective energy.
The band consists of Jørgen Apeness (Sauropod, Thea & The Wild, Lazy Queen), Lars Fremmerlid (Bugge Wesseltoft, Einar Stray Orchestra), Henrik Schmidt (Synne Sanden, Shimmering) and frontman Jonas Lundekvam. Together they make music that might bring to mind Yes, King Crimson or Meer, and will absolutely be enjoyed by prog-rock fans from any corner of the world.
Travels well with: K’mono- Mind Out Of Mind; Ribozyme- Celestial Low