PARADOX HOTEL

OK, someone has to knock all the hype off the Flower Kings. This latest outing is way overrated, in relation to its quality. I am a Flower Kings fan, and own every album, and even though sometimes I have to admit I had to make an effort to like some of their over- abundant material, most of it was if inconsistent, at least enjoyable. This release is where my patience with the FK ran out. They songs are dull and uninspired, and most of them 'don't go anywhere' or just lack development. There are less and less of those tasty instrumental breaks the FK is known for. Many songs have this sort of a letdown, where there are just starting to build toward something, but nothing really happens. Other songs are just plain bad. Only a handful are interesting in terms of composition, like MAN OF THE WORLD and LUCY HAD A DREAM. The obligatory 21 minute epic is OK, but also rather lackluster compared to their previous efforts. You can barely hear Reingold's bass any more and Bodin's keyboards seem to be pushed out of the way, and solos kept to a minimum. However, Stolt's annoyingly bluesy guitar seems to be omnipresent.