Meer: ‘Wheels Within Wheels’ Review
The album artwork for Wheels Within Wheels
In 2021, the prog scene witnessed a relative rarity. An actually new breakthrough act that came in the form of Norwegian octet Meer. They’ve been on the minds of many prog rock enjoyers since Playing House was released, and promptly shattered album of the year lists everywhere wide open with its overall mellow, yet intricately layered approach to progressive-minded music. Some modest European touring followed before the band retreated to the studio to record a follow-up. The result is Wheels Within Wheels, takes a largely different tone. It’s certainly not “heavy” – expect no eight-string breakdowns here – but it is more upbeat, and more instrumentally driven than its predecessor.
Behave makes this change apparent with multiple impressive guitar riffs driving the track, with keyboards and strings layered atop them to bolster the sound. The dynamics of the previous material aren’t lost but instead pushed even further. Lead single Golden Circle lets the delicate atmospherics flow through fully in moments, while Today Tonight Tomorrow builds to an absolutely sensational finish, with a beautiful solo from Eivind Strømstad coming in so hard that an interlude is provided immediately after as an opportunity to let the humble listener recover.
As per usual with Meer, the dual vocals of Knut and Johanne Nesdal are still the star of the show. The more upbeat tone taken in the instrumentation behind them allows the duo to absolutely belt it together. Both sound great individually, but it’s when the two are harmonising – such as on the bridge of album highlight Come to Light – that the band sounds large. The inevitable Pure Reason Revolution comparisons that come from a dual harmony approach to vocals end just there, however – Meer manage to make this sound very much their own.
The extended winding instrumental sections are intricate, all in all combining traditional rock instrumentation with violin, viola and organs. Some surprisingly catchy drum fills from Mats Lillehaug make their way into an impressive mix where all eight members’ contributions shine through. Wheels Within Wheels shows a commitment to Meer‘s octet setup extending to their production. All players are given room to breathe in an expansive mix. To What End provides ample space for delicate acoustic guitars and strings to intertwine, and it all sounds buttery smooth.
All this is in preparation for the impressive one-two-punch finale tracks of Something in the Water and This is the End – both bring heavier guitar tones to the fore, without sacrificing the intricacy of earlier tracks. The former of the duo has an almost grungy guitar tone dipping in and contrasting the refined beauty of both vocalists, but it works ever so well. Aptly titled closer This is the End builds fantastically to a stunning mid-song burst, and in true prog fashion turns to something completely different yet remains coherent. This finale makes the most of its nine-minute runtime, with all eight members getting their hands on the wheel (within wheels?) and really driving the record home.
After Playing House, are Meer playing this time? A question that Wheels Within Wheels answers not by reinventing said wheels but trying to dissect their core elements. A few listens later and I feel there’s something for everyone in this record. The stirring strings, the vocal performances, the delicate instrumentation coupled with more intense moments. It’s genuinely difficult to apply critique here, no single part makes itself unnecessary, an extraordinary feat for a band with as many cooks in the kitchen as this one. As album of the year lists begin to roll in, I would not be surprised to see Wheels Within Wheels motion itself into them.
