The Difficult Second
Distrokid, 2022
8/10
Listen to The Difficult Second
The sophomore album from the UK progressive outfit Fearful Symmetry, these 10 diverse songs embrace rock, crossover, classical, jazz, world music and retro-prog for a very intricate and exciting listen.
“Mood Swings And Roundabouts” starts the listen with bright singing, well timed bass, angular guitar and crisp drums, and “The Difficult Second” follows with a warm buzzing amid the scrappy rhythm section and meticulous guitar.
“Eastern Eyes” occupies the middle spot and recruits Eastern influences in the fusion-rock delivery, while “The Song Of The Siren” showcases graceful piano that is quite poetic and segues into plenty of pop-spirited melodies.
Approaching the end, “Sandworm” is a thicker offering that is quite dynamic and both firm and tuneful in its place as the album’s best, and “Warlords” exits the listen with radiant synth and plenty of lush textures that expands across 14+ minutes of adventurous song craft.
The multi-instrumentalist Suzi James is the brains behind Fearful Symmetry, and composed, produced, mixed and mastered the record. Additionally, Yael Shotts (vocals, arrangements) and Sharon Petrover (drums, arrangements) are on hand for the very symphonic, cultured and timeless prog journey.
Travels well with: Nemo- Les Nouveaux Mondes; Babal- Who Will I Be When I Leave?