NEIGH!!

Motorpsycho mixes so many styles Heavy Rock, free jazz, space rock, progressive rock. A great band, one of the most amazing and original acts today. They started in 1989 in Norway, and since then, they've made almost 40 albums. Not many breaks, a few changes here and there, but always creating new music.

I first got into them with The Death Defying Unicorn, the one with Ståle Storløkken. That album is really amazing. It had an orchestra, mellotrons, analog keyboards, and it showed me a new side of the band. For me, it's one of their best records.

Then there's the Gullvåg Trilogy The Tower (2017), The Crucible (2019), and The All Is One (2020). Especially The Crucible and The All Is One. These albums are huge in the progressive rock world. The acoustic sections, the space jams, and the electronic parts in N.O.X. this is where Motorpsycho is at their peak. You'd think they couldn't keep it up, but then came Kingdom Of Oblivion (2021). Some reviewers said it was just leftovers, but no, it's darker, heavier almost like an extra part of the trilogy.

Then came Ancient Astronauts (2022), another fantastic record. It's different from anything else they've done, but still so good. The songs are epic, a kind of Yes' Relayer, influenced but dark and mysterious, more improvisational.

But then, Yay! (2023), a collection of almost acoustic songs, like C.S.N. and Simon & Garfunkel, with terrible artwork. The music is not bad, but really unadventurous for them. It felt like the band took a turn, but it wasn't interesting at all.

Now, Neigh!! (2024) is here, but it falls flat. The band seems to be reaching back to their early 2000s sound, yet nothing truly stands out. The album cover featuring a naïve puppet mirrors the music: simple, even childlike. There are traces of prog, but they're diluted, lacking the boldness you'd expect from Motorpsycho. It feels like the band didn't commit fully to either their old sound or something entirely new.

This album isn't bad, but it's far from their best. It revisits some of their mid-90s influences, blending 60s psychedelic pop and 90s alternative rock, but the result feels unoriginal. Instead of something fresh or daring, it comes off as indecisive, like they weren't sure where to go. I was hoping for a bold move maybe even a full-on pop experiment like some 80s prog bands attempted but Neigh!! just sits in the middle, neither hot nor cold.

Musically, the band plays it safe. The arrangements lack depth, the compositions feel flat, and the production is almost too polished. There are hints of their progressive roots, but they don't leave a lasting impact. Even the acoustic parts, which once packed an emotional punch in albums like The Crucible or The All Is One, feel underwhelming here.

Motorpsycho has always been capable of greatness, but Neigh!! is a step back. I still believe they have more to offer, and I hope their next album brings back the adventurous spirit that has made them so exciting in the past.

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