One cannot deny the magic of those bands that take you to fjords and create immense, fog-filled soundscapes without making you leave the comfort of your own bedroom, and this skill is something which ProgAtom always demonstrated exceptionally well. This Norwegian band specializes in progressive rock and managed to carve out a niche for themselves over the years thanks to the combination of majestic symphonic rock with amazing ambient sounds as well as those mind-blowing uneven time signatures that ensure you stay alert all the time if you’re a fan of prog. With their latest track, “New Shoes”, released on October 2nd, they not only offered us a new song, but a whole world, once again demonstrating their place among the most interesting modern prog bands out there. Let’s check it out.
There is not a single moment wasted in terms of building up the authoritative stance of the track, which breaks out with the powerful, dramatic, electronic sound of the piano which immediately strikes your ears along with the equally dramatic guitar sound. Right from the start, you can tell how rich the sound production is in terms of its quality and how much work has gone into creating something special for you to experience right from the first note.
“New Shoes,” at its very essence, serves as a towering and much-needed piece of artwork from ProgAtom in addressing what has become the most poisonous plagues in the digital world age: non-stop trolling, poisonous debate and discussions, and the shocking lack of fundamental human empathy. The lyrics hit the nail right on the head by presenting us with profound and disarmingly reflective lyrics which challenge us to step outside of our own narrow perspective of reality, such as through lyrics like, “I haven’t been in your shoes / So who am I to judge?” It forces us to face the reality of our shared, fragile humanity. The stark reality is that if we, as humans, were to be granted the terrifying chance to actually walk a mile in another person’s shoes, then chances are that few of us would survive even one single second – every shoe, every life, carries hidden burdens, and we are all individually presented with the challenges we can endure and overcome. It is very similar to the much loved cult movie Freaky Friday, in which a girl always at loggerheads with her mother finds herself swapping minds with her, and having to deal with each other’s nightmare world. The plot is only complete and redemptive when they come to see the enormity of the burden carried by each one of them, whether it is the suffocating pressures of high school social cliques and schoolwork, or being responsible for the household, organizing a wedding, and keeping a career on track. They soon learn that life in each other’s place would be impossible for either of them, and that they have to accept each other’s imperfections in order to come home to themselves, and make an unspoken promise never to judge the walk of another person without having been in their shoes themselves. That is what ProgAtom has done with music in Freaky Friday’s cinematic epiphany.
Captured with impeccable perfection at Beef & Sound Studio, this exceptional single represents the ultimate display of the band’s unique skill in creating the perfect fusion between complex musical arrangements and lyrically meaningful and socially aware lyrics. Every note of it is full of meaning and purpose due to the amazing chemistry of musicians, who made up this line-up: Mattis Sørum playing intricate guitar melodies, Arild Sveum making stunning keyboard melodies, Rune Ulen providing a driving and powerful drum part, Åsmund Mjelva making a solid bassline, and finally, Tore Christer Storlid presenting a powerful vocal performance. Such a combination of talent makes “New Shoes” not only another addition to their discography but the definite masterpiece that was meant to be amazing from the very beginning.
It has been characteristic of ProgAtom’s musical style all along, that it is an absolutely amazing tightrope performance, which is capable of bridging the gap between the semi-orchestral embellishments and the psychedelic atmosphere on one hand, and the hard and heavy progressive compositions with hooks and 70s vibe on the other. What makes their music outstanding is not only a perfect interplay between the instruments and arrangements that make no minute of wasted time, but also the theme of “New Shoes.” And this is the exact message that our broken world badly needs in this moment, existing as we are in a noisy, impulsive world that does not usually practice tolerance, venerates the idea of making judgments quickly, and chooses indifference over empathy in order to make life easy for themselves. It’s hard for me to thank the band enough for their taking the bull by the horns with this song, not being afraid of dealing with something truly meaningful and healing through their huge platform. I am totally captivated, totally amazed by their art and can’t wait to listen to much more from them.
Stream “New Shoes” on Spotify
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