by Bob Keeley
MEER has a lot going on, both musically and, apparently, in the personal lives of the writers. With eight members in the band and two lead singers this Norwegian band create a big sound. They have both a violin and a viola player (Asa Ree and Ingvild Nordstoga Sandvik) which gives MEER a sound that is somewhat unique in both pop and prog. Other bands feature violin (Kansas and Big Big Train leap to mind as two examples) but it is rare to have a pair of string instruments, which give a richer and at times thicker sound to MEER’s music. They also have two lead vocalists and primary lyricists. Johanne-Margrete Kippersund Nesdal and her brother Knut Kippersund Nesdal both front the band and add to the richness of their sound. But even though Wheels Within Wheels, their third album, is at times heavier than the band’s 2021 effort, Playing House, there are moments of quiet beauty as well.
Check out our Interview with Meer here.
The eleven songs show the band reflecting on a fractured relationship. This is seen in every song on the album. “Come to light,” is the album’s fourth track and the track that gives the album its title. Johanne sings, “Come to light, be revealed. There are wheels within wheels within wheels. Cling to life, take a leap. There are miles and miles to go before we sleep.” This is accompanied by a band that uses dynamics incredibly well. The music soars when it needs to and pulls back to emote at other times. At the emotional apex of the song, both Johanne and Knut sing “Make your mark, take a stand. Do you clench a fist or give an open hand? Make it count. It’s not too late.” As the album progresses, we sense that the relationship is becoming more frayed and fragile with each song.
In “Behave,” Knut sings, “With you it’s always a lot but it’s never enough.” The verses percolate along nicely but the sound really explodes as they reach the chorus; “I’m banging my cage. You’re setting the stage. Why don’t you behave?” The contrast between the subtle verses and the strident and loud choruses are one of the hallmarks of this album.
“Golden Circle,” the lead single (and video) is a good introduction to the sound of the album, especially showing both the quiet reflective side and loud and raucous side of the band. Even though the lyrics of each song are quite serious, the dancing of the band members in the video shows them trying to put their troubles “out of sight” and “out of mind.” (It also lets us see the joy they have in making their music.) Watching the video adds an interesting layer to our appreciation of the song and also helps us understand the different elements that go into making MEER’s unique sound.
While all six instrumentalists show their chops throughout the album, this isn’t an album that showcases solos. The ensemble often plays all together using composed instrumental passages to make their point. There are, of course, moments when the instrumentalists get to step out, Eivind Strømstad’s guitar solo in “Today Tonight Tomorrow,” for example, or Ole Gjøstøl’s piano solo in the short but beautiful “World of Wonder” but those are more the exception than standard practice for MEER.
“Take Me to the River,” has Knut longing for things to return to the way it used to be. This is a gentle song until the tempo increases and a very quick eight-note musical pattern emerges. One can imagine the memories of better days spinning on and on as the music builds. We almost expect the vocals to come back and assure us that he and his love have reunited but they don’t. Was it just in his imagination? Is this all about unfulfilled longing? This is a particularly effective song. The lyrics are light on specifics but delve deeply into the feelings as the relationship dissolves This is seen well in the delicate “Mother.” “Mother of broken things, gather us under wings of words we never heard but always knew.” In a last-ditch effort to hold on to what they had, they sing, “Tell another story. Tell another story.” By the time the next and penultimate track, “Something in the Water,” begins we know things are damaged beyond repair. The dark opening riff supports the lyrics, “you have been warned. You won’t be mourned.”
Each of the eleven tracks on Wheels Within Wheels allows us to watch the relationship dissolve until we reach the final track, “This is the End.” “We are no more than the ashes you spread upon the ocean,” Johanne sings. As the song progresses, they reference songs that preceded it in the album, making it clear that this album is all of one piece. But instead of asking to “tell another story,” they sing “tell us another horror story.”
Wheels Within Wheels is more than just a collection of songs. This album not only tells a story, but it also helps us feel the pain and loss of what happens when a relationship dies. This is an amazing and beautiful artistic statement and another fine step forward for MEER.
Released on August 23rd, 2024 on Karisma Records.
01. Chains of Changes
02. Behave
03. Take Me to the River
04. Come to Light
05. Golden Circle
06. Today Tonight Tomorrow
07. World of Wonder
09. Mother
10. Something in the Water
11. This is the End
Bandcamp: https://meer.bandcamp.com/album/wheels-within-wheels
Webshop: https://www.karismarecords.no/shop/
US Webshop: https://karismarecords.indiemerch.com/pre-orders
