LAUGHING STOCK – Shelter

Norwegian prog rockers Laughing Stock have never been anything but adventurous and many of their outputs possess a creative wanderlust that sees them covering quite a bit of musical ground while showcasing an impressive ability to balance what can only be termed intimately introspective with themes that are larger in scope and speak of the human condition in more general terms. Always interesting and inspired from a lyrical perspective and consistently forward-thinking in purely musical terms, their records are interesting works to explore and immerse oneself in, and Shelter is no different. Having said that, the band’s Achilles heel has always been the range of the vocals from the perspective of this scribe, and their new LP does admittedly suffer in a few places from the singing simply not being able to match, accentuate, and emphasize the breadth and dynamics of the actual music, but fortunately, those instances are fare and few between on this disc.

Shelter is undoubtedly their most focused and varied excursion into proggy and experimental territory to date, and the overall theme, concept, and narrative of the LP work rather splendidly in conjunction with the evocative melodies and riffs that permeate the record. From pastoral folk music to jazz rock and further on to art rock and psychedelic soundscapes, there is plenty to wrap one’s head around but an awful lot to enjoy. Album highlight “The Flood” (featuring none other than Tim Bowness of No-Man fame on vocals) is a perfect example of Laughing Stock’s knack for writing tunes that embody and weave together the gentle and reflective with the tempestuous and dark. “A New Home” boasts killer riffs and a solid groove not to mention a delightfully crunchy tone, and the psychedelic undertones and haunting vibes of the strangely uplifting tracks titled “Roots Go Deep” and “Sticks and Stones” make them two of the most colorful and elegiac pieces of the whole lot.

Shelter is not merely cleverly written and superbly arranged but a memorable and oftentimes stirring listen. Your patience will be rewarded here as it is a grower.