NEIGH!!

Every year means a new Motorpsycho album! Last year saw the release of the more acoustically inclined Yay!, and Motorpsycho continues that front into a more overtly psychedelic folk range with Neigh!! This record certainly has a different feel from Yay! That much is certain. Like many Motorpsycho releases before, Neigh!! certainly has a strong progressive rock edge to it that I quite enjoy. You certainly hear it first hand in the opening of Psycholab, being this mix of old school psychedelic rock akin to Jefferson Airplane, with that same Motorpsycho flair that I like.

In fact, I'd say the proggy elements are probably the best thing on here, probably better than what was on Yay!. Where Yay! was a record that had its strengths lie within the acoustic driven psych rock, Neigh!! is a lot stronger within the prog department, feeling almost like the secret fourth album from the band's 2000-2002 output. I can feel a strong energy from Phanerothyme and Let Them Eat Cake on here, and I really enjoy it a lot. It gives the record some charm for me, especially since I quite like more psychedelic prog stuff Motorpsycho can put out.

At the same time, though, it feels like a step back from Yay! in a lot of places. I really wanted to see if they'd continue on with that more overtly psychedelic pop sound off last year's record. In fact I thought it'd be neat if the band would make a non-prog record for the first time in a long while. You know, change up the pace, keep us Motorpsycho heads on our toes. However, even with the more psychedelic folk elements sprung throughout, the more progressive rock leaning focus this album has makes it feel less like continuing the exciting new twist that Yay! delivered, and more like business as usual for the band, which is really odd for me. It feels almost weirdly cut and dry. The prog hits good, but at the same time I really wanted to see that other side of Motorpsycho. Their prog is amazing, always has been, but their psychedelic pop scores are also amazing too!

Though, there are still some tracks that continue a bit from Yay!. Return To Sanity is a good example of this, being this nice, cool, and mellow psych folk track that reminds me quite a bit of Bob Dylan's music. As well as this, Revenants, and Condor do quite a good job at showcasing that very same type of sound, though in their own unique lights, like a bit more of a lo-fi sound on Revenants, and a nice little echo on the electric guitar of Condor. I like them quite a bit!

But the thing is they just feel weaker than what was delivered on Yay!. They don't feel half-assed, since I doubt Motorpsycho would just do that for their music, but at the same time I just don't quite like them as much as what was shown on Yay!. Yay! had this level of beauty and glamor to its presentation and sound that made its uniqueness quite stellar to go through. Neigh!!, however, doesn't seem to have that. It feels kind of sterilized in a weird way, and I really don't like that. It is probably the worst thing about this album honestly. There is no flavor of weirdness or uniqueness on here, and for that it makes it feel like a step back. For what it is worth, I still like the album, and I know Motorpsycho can bounce back from this. But at the same time, this record is definitely quite the let down, especially after a stream of banger after banger ever since 2017's The Tower.

I certainly wished I could've loved this album, but I simply felt quite lukewarm on it. Perhaps next year will lead to better results.

Best tracks: Psycholab, This Is Your Captain, Elysium Soon

Worst track: Edgar's Bathtub

Neigh!! Next, please.

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.