Wobbler - Dwellers of the Deep. 2020 Norway

Here's how I opened up my review of From Silence to Somewhere: "For any number of legitimate reasons I can lay out, it wasn't until November that I heard my first new album of 2017. And that one album was Wobbler's 4th opus From Silence to Somewhere. But what a way to ring in the new year! 11 months belated perhaps, but it doesn't matter because I can say with a certain amount of confidence this will be album of the year for me."

Three years and one month later, and ummm, yea exactly that. In fact I insisted in getting this listen in, lest I miss the entire year.  God how I love Wobbler! I keep expecting many other bands to follow in their footsteps, and yet very few (if any) really do. They seem to do everything just right, including awaiting 3 years to release a new album. For 2020, I have figuratively traveled the world with vinyl LPs - given the vast amounts of crazy pieces brought in while digging in the wilds, or inheriting a houseful of records from a fellow collector. Despite that, I love coming home to my favorite "city" - that of early 70s styled symphonic progressive rock.  It seems I will never tire of this most wonderful genre.

What one notices about Dwellers of the Deep is they have backslid a bit to their very Yes-like Rites at Dawn. Which is hardly a complaint, but it does take away from their native Nordic Anglagard-y approach of From Silence to Somewhere. All the same, I found myself enjoying Dwellers of the Deep on the same level for the first half of the album. Especially on 'Five Rooms' where I could swear I heard an organ jam that could have come straight from a Caravan album circa 1971. In The Land of Grey and Relayer one dreams of. The second half of the album, while still excellent, didn't quite have as many hair raising breaks and melodies that Wobbler are capable of. At this point, I'm rating the album a skosh off a masterpiece. But of course that could change over repeated listens. Whatever the case, yet another great album by a great band. Let's take that one step further: Wobbler are my favorite contemporary band. Competition is welcome of course...

Ownership: CD: 2020 Karisma. Jewel case edition. Booklet is filled with lyrics, photos, recording details, and artwork. So...if there was ever a group that would draw me back to being a contemporary LP collector first, CD second, it would be Wobbler. I have consciously made the decision to not do that. I love collecting LPs (obviously) - but from the LP era. And I love collecting CDs from... the CD era. There's always exceptions, especially regarding reissues - and for LP-only releases. But in today's world, most groups release in both formats, and I'll take the CD almost every time. Extending this further, I'd rather have a jewel case than a digi-pak (which Wobbler also offers). I don't like digi-paks as a rule. They get damaged easier (edge wear, indentations, and God forbid if the casing loses it's "teeth"). A heavy duty tri-fold digi-pak, or mini-LP is different, but a garden variety "soft" digi-pak I can do without. Ah anyway, just waxing away here on my current collecting philosophy....

12/30/20 (new entry)