The Syntax Of Things
Chaos, 2026
9/10
Listen to The Syntax Of Things
An Anglo—Scandinavian progressive rock outfit of international musicians, Galasphere 347 flesh out a technical batch of songs here that surround longing, nostalgia and the sense of loss.
The busy yet precise energy of “Hiraeth Part 1” opens with Stephen James Bennett’s driving guitar and flowing voice alongside Mattias Olsson’s thumping drums that suit the harmonic versus dense ideas, and “Life As An Architect” follows with a dreamy ambience that benefits from the waves of synth and Jacob Holm-Lupo’s strategic bass.
“Broken Bones” arrives in the middle and enlists Bjørn Riis’ colorful guitar and Myke Clifford’s rich saxophone to complement the 11 minutes of layered and unpredictable rock, while “Nighthawks” offers an intimate moment thanks to Ketil Vestrum Einarsen’s warm keys and the poetic singing.
The title track arrives late and is fully engulfed in prog-rock via the buzzing synth, ethereal backdrop and Bjørn Riis’ guitar and John Jowitt’s bass as the setting gets thicker, and “Hiraeth Part 2” exits with Pete Smith’s bass chops helping cultivate some classic rock nods amid the hazy and textured finish.
The players here have put their time in bands such as White Willow, Henry Fool, Airbag, IQ, Änglagård, The Tim Bowness band, No-Man, John Wetton, Weserbandland and Necromonkey, and they take those experiences and place them into this meticulous, sometimes hectic, other times serene version of progressive music that’s dynamic and memorable.
Travels well with: Homme- Ma vie en théorémes; Johan Steensland- Duality