WAITING FOR MIRACLES

'Waiting for Miracles' is the thirteenth studio album by The Flower Kings, released six years after its predecessor, 'Desolation Rose.' The most noticeable difference on 'Waiting for Miracles' from all the Flower Kings albums that preceded it, is that Tomas Bodin is no longer in the band. I don't know exactly what happened in regards to his departure. All that I know is that he's not in the band, and his absence is felt. That's not to discredit American keyboardist Zach Kamins, who does a marvelous job of filling Bodin's big shoes. Kamins even has his own writing credits on a couple tracks. Bodin wasn't just a keyboardist, but also an excellent composer and arranger for the music of The Flower Kings. In my opinion, the songwriting suffers from his absence. 'Waiting for Miracles' is the first album to feature, from Italy, Mirko DeMaio on drums and percussion.

The album opens with "House of Cards," which is a piano piece that was written by Kamins. This is a promising prelude that I think could've made a beautiful introduction to an epic. Unfortunately, once we get into the album proper, starting with "Black Flag," my hope diminishes. What's even more unfortunate is "Black Flag" is one of the better songs on 'Waiting for Miracles.' It feels like a continuation of what we heard on 'Desolation Rose' in that the music is dark, albeit for Flower Kings standards. While I do love 'Desolation Rose,' "Black Flag" retreads old ground. There are good ideas presented in the song, but as with many latter-day Flower Kings songs, it could be executed better. The Hammond organ intro to "Miracles for America" is also promising, but then again, the music meanders. I lose interest in "Miracles for America" within the first three minutes.

The vocal harmonies in the beginning of "Vertigo" are pleasantly atmospheric. Hasse Fröberg's vocals are warm and inviting. Roine Stolt plays a guitar solo towards the end of "Vertigo." "The Bridge" is a piano ballad in the vein of "The Way the Waters Are Moving." The second half is electric and features a guitar solo from Stolt. "Ascending to the Stars" is an orchestral piece that was written by Kamins. Paul Cartwright plays violin and John "Zach" Dellinger plays viola on "Ascending to the Stars." The music is so cinematic it almost doesn't fit on 'Waiting for Miracles,' as if "Ascending to the Stars" was taken from a completely different album. The starting music sounds like something from 'Interstellar,' and then it erupts into heavy musical passages.

"Wicked Old Symphony" is the most accessible song on 'Waiting for Miracles' with a pleasant chorus. "The Rebel Circus" is an instrumental that features a guitar solo from Stolt. There is a brief reprise of the "Miracles for America" theme on 'The Rebel Circus.' "Sleep With the Enemy" is a bit lackluster, but it's not horrible. "The Crowning Greed" begins as an instrumental with more lead guitar from Stolt. The ending is a reprise of "The Bridge."

The strangest part of 'Waiting for Miracles' is that there are two CDs, but the second one is far shorter than the first, with a duration of just over 20 minutes. The two previous Flower Kings albums had bonus discs. You would think that this second disc is a bonus disc, right? Quite honestly, I don't know if it is or isn't, because it's marketed as being part of the album proper. "House of Cards Reprise" is exactly what the title says. "Spirals" is an electronic piece that starts atmospheric and then develops a groove. Suddenly, the music explodes. Unfortunately, after this exciting moment, the music doesn't really go anywhere. "Spirals" contains playful "da-da" vocals, accompanied by a jazzy rhythm section, provided by Mirko DeMaio and Jonas Reingold. "We Were Always Here" starts with a tribal drumbeat and evolves into a wonderful, melodic song. "We Were Always Here" is probably my favorite song on 'Waiting for Miracles.' The minute long closing track, "Busking at Brobank," is a blues ditty featuring what sounds like a theremin.

In conclusion, 'Waiting for Miracles' is a disappointing release from The Flower Kings. The music isn't bad, but it lacks the creativity that was apparent on its predecessor. There are some solid tracks like "Black Flag," "Ascending to the Stars," and "We Were Always Here." However, the rest of the material of 'Waiting for Miracles' is insipid.