Norwegian prog rockers Laughing Stock have been immensely productive these past few years, and their latest offering, the intriguingly titled Life in Seven Dreams, is the eighth album in as many years by the trio. From the perspective of this writer, the band have always delivered solid and enjoyable records with plenty of interesting layers and richly textured moods, but their Achilles heel has always been the vocals in that they failed to fully gel with their dynamic and melodic mixture of prog, jazz, folk rock, and subtle doses of gloom-laden metal on previous discs. It often felt as if the vocals did not truly do the varied song material justice and that they were lacking in emotional intensity.
The good news is that this brand-new LP sees the outfit sounding more confident than ever, with the voice of Jan Erik Kirkevold Nilsen being noticeably more compelling and convincing than previously. On top of that, its eight rousing compositions all manage to provoke strong feelings in the listener while moving more or less effortlessly between calm, reflective parts and crushing, doom-soaked passages capable of tearing down walls. To strike a near-perfect balance between the dense and the accessible requires skill, and Life in Seven Dreams delivers with respect to that. The song ‘All the Strength’ is a perfect example of how they combine wistfulness and a sense of yearning with something disquieting and an aura of intense brooding.
The Edgar Allan Poe theme, or rather the evocative poem titled ‘A Dream Within a Dream’ (1849) that functions as Laughing Stock‘s springboard of ideas here, earns them several points for two reasons. One being that yours truly is a huge fan and admirer of Poe’s work in general, and the other being that it ties in incredibly well with the atmosphere and vibe of the words, melodies, and riffs that come into play throughout the thirty-nine minutes that this moody journey lasts. Using the aforementioned poem to reflect on and thematise various obstacles and challenges that the members of the ensemble have either encountered personally, or in a broader human context, works like a melancholy charm.
When phrases such as “dreaming of better days” and “they won’t find me until I’m okay” make an appearance, you know that we are dealing with a piece of work that is heavy in both the literal and figurative sense of the word. The living legend that is Tim Bowness of No-Man fame appears on the third track, ‘Not Today’, which is both haunting and gentle. There is no mistaking that charismatic voice of his.
Life in Seven Dreams is an excellent record and a robust, prog-ish delight to the ears that weaves strong emotions, brilliant musical motifs, clever song arrangements, and reflective lyrics together to great effect. The album is a minor musical triumph and a highlight of the band’s discography, and it hardly hurts that the artwork and layout chime in perfectly with the album’s darkly alluring content. On a final note, ‘This House’ and ‘Summer’s End’ may well be the finest songs penned by these chaps yet.
Life in Seven Dreams is out now via Apollon Records Prog.
