loading . . . Album review: Vinyl Floor - Balancing Act The opening track of Vinyl Floor's sixth album, _Balancing Act_ , immediately drew me in, as the vocal melody reminded me of Opeth's _The Devil's Orchard_. The songs aren't the same, but there was something familiar in the prog DNA of the music.
The Danish band, a collaboration between brothers Daniel and Thomas Charlie Pedersen, has always favoured a blend of progressive rock and the early 60s British pop of groups like The Beatles, and while those influences are still here, the duo have expanded their sonic palette further this time around.
But the first thing we need to get out of the way: this is progressive rock, not 'prog' ā there are no 17-minute songs with large instrumental breaks. Only one track breaks the five-minute mark, the easygoing _Jacaranda Blossom_ , which builds on a bright piano riff into the song's guitar-led crescendo.
So while the brothers' references are clearly steeped in the legacy of the 1960s and 1970s, it's filtered through a more pop-focused lens, making the album's 48-minute runtime feels like a breeze, helped by their ability to pen ear-worm hooks, like on _I'm The Upside_.
The lead single from the album, _Mr Rubinstein_ , is the camera-flash-in-the-air moment, with a singalong chorus and luscious backing vocals suited for large arenas, cosy rooms and even at the mid-point of a musical.
The only instrumental piece here, _Back Of My Hand_ , feels like it would have had vocals at one point, but the band opted for lead strings instead, which ends up complementing the waltz-like pace and the song bridges both halves of the album.
Although not a concept album in the more traditional sense, the band wanted to link all the tracks thematically around trying to find order in a world that feels out of balance, and it's on the swirling titular track that this focus takes the spotlight.
"I won't get anywhere, though I try harder everyday," is a feeling that most of us can relate to right now, but based on the warmth and joy of guitar-led pop flowing through _Balancing Act_ , Vinyl Floor certainly deserve to keep moving forward.
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Vinyl Floor's _Balancing Act_ will be released on 27th February 2026. You can follow the band at Bandcamp and buy 2022 release, _Funhouse Mirror_.
Funhouse Mirror, by Vinyl Floor0 track albumVinyl FloorBandcamp New & Notable Jan 18, 2024 https://www.jamesfrew.me/vinyl-floor-balancing-act-review/
