Softer, jazzier and full of charm. Let Them Eat Cake is Motorpsycho’s 2000 album: a surprising, orchestral pop detour from one of Norway’s most restless rock bands.

The short version

The 2000 album by Norwegian band Motorpsycho, and one of the great left-turns in their catalogue. After the heavy rock of their late-90s work, the band swapped distortion for violins and horns, delivering a warm, jazzy psych-pop record steeped in ’60s songwriting. Lush orchestral arrangements, Beatles-esque harmonies and unusually soft, tender vocals give it a gentle, sunlit charm. Accessible, melodic and quietly adventurous, it shows just how far this band’s restless curiosity can roam.

A bold left-turn

Formed in Trondheim in 1989 and built around Bent Saether and Hans Magnus Ryan, Motorpsycho had spent the 1990s making heavy, sprawling rock. Let Them Eat Cake found the core trio — Saether, Ryan and drummer Hakon Gebhardt — deliberately changing tack, recruiting a small orchestra of strings and horns to realise a gentler, more song-focused vision. Rather than chase the success of their heavier records, they followed their curiosity somewhere new. It is a testament to a band who have never been content to stand still.

The sound

Let Them Eat Cake is lush, orchestral psych-pop, a warm and melodic departure from the band’s heavier norm. Jangling acoustic guitars, swinging brass, sweeping strings and gentle grooves recall the psychedelic pop of the late ’60s, with echoes of Beatles-esque harmony and a jazzy, easy-going swing. The vocals are notably soft and tender, Ryan’s in particular, lending the songs an intimate, sunlit glow. It is playful and pretty, full of pastiche and detour, yet always tuneful — a band clearly delighting in trying something new.

Reading up on modern prog? The books go deeper →

The songs

The opener ‘The Other Fool’ was a genuine hit, topping the Norwegian singles chart with its bright, catchy charm. ‘Upstairs-Downstairs’ is a highlight, pairing swinging brass with folk-tinged melody. And ‘Stained Glass’ is a beloved fan favourite — an airy, acoustic-driven piece that builds beautifully across its length.

Reception and legacy

Let Them Eat Cake was a bold gamble that paid off, winning praise for its craft, its warmth and its fearless change of direction. The single ‘The Other Fool’ became a chart-topper in Norway, broadening the band’s audience. While some fans of their heavier sound were surprised, many now count it among Motorpsycho’s most consistent and charming records — further proof that this is a band who can turn their hand to almost anything and still sound unmistakably themselves.

The verdict

Let Them Eat Cake is Motorpsycho at their most gentle and melodic: lush, orchestral psych-pop rich in harmony, warmth and charm. Come for the chart-topping ‘The Other Fool’ and the beloved ‘Stained Glass.’ Tuneful, tender and quietly adventurous, it is essential listening for anyone who likes their psychedelia sunlit and song-focused — and a delightful reminder that one of Norway’s heaviest bands can also be one of its prettiest.

Browse the bookshelf in the footer →