Man made machine

They Say...

Review by François Couture, All Music Guide

Carptree's third album cemented the group's original recipe. Man Made Machine cannot be called derivative neo-prog, a label often thrown at the band's previous efforts. In fact, the unsuspecting prog rock fan might be taken off guard by this lavishly produced, idiosyncratic release. Niclas Flinck's voice has been compared to Fish's, but the truth lies elsewhere. The same applies to the music, usually described (and promoted) as a blend of classic prog rock sound and contemporary touches. In fact, Man Made Machine is made of elements borrowed from late-'70s prog rock: And Then There Were Three-era Genesis, Going for the One-era Yes, and the cleaner, simpler sound of North American prog bands like FM and Starcastle. Add to that a certain reminiscence of the '80s, closer to the new wave movement (the Buggles, Rupert Hine, the Human League) than neo-prog -- you can hear it in the vocal effects, in some keyboards, but mostly in the melodies of "Tilting the Scales," "Man Made Machine," and "In the Centre of an Empty Space." The '90s Scandinavian wave of progressive rock is not ignored, with a particular fondness for Fruitcake, the Flower Kings and the whole hard-rocking prog aesthetics of the InsideOut label, it seems. Finally comes the production itself, resolutely modern, with textures galore, dizzying multi-tracking, and daring effects. Flinck's voice takes some getting used to, as it is both theatrical and satirical. The album kicks off with two very strong rockers, "Titans Clash Aggressively to Keep an Even Score" and "Sunshine Waters." The ballad "The Weakening Sound" delivers one of the strongest melodies of the set and features the Trollhättans Chamber Choir. The album loses some steam in the second half, where the writing gets weaker, but even there the music remains oddly unique. Man Made Machine is clearly a case of love it or hate it. Purists might opt for the latter, so be warned, but derivative this clearly is not.