Short Reviews [Fearful Symmetry - 2019 - "Louder Than Words"]

I have come across bands in many different ways over the years, but I think this is the first time it has ever happened due to a case of mistaken identity! A friend of mine tagged me on Facebook regarding a review I had supposedly written – a quick check of my files and we discovered she had confused me with another writer, so she amended the post. This in turn got me wondering who this band actually were, as I had not come across them before. It transpires that they are a duo of Suzi James and Jeremy Shotts, plus some additional musicians. They provide some background, saying “We’re rock and prog-rock fans, (but not exclusively), going way back, who wanted to create something new, inspired by the ‘progressive’ music we’ve listened to over the years. The music on our debut album, 'Louder Than Words', is an affectionate homage to classic prog: new compositions but aiming to convey a familiar and beloved sound and feel. Fearful Symmetry is not so much a band, more an aesthetic - a set of principles defining our approach to this music - not constrained by genre but seeking to capture and blend a mix of styles. How we arrived at this concept wasn’t born out of pre-conceived notions. It evolved from conversations between two cousins, both with a love for music - listening and playing.” They have also brought in additional singers, both male and female, yet it does feel more like a band than a project, although on their website they are at pains to point out this is only a studio project and not one which will play live. This is light and fresh neo-prog, which also contains elements of bands such as Alan Parsons Project. Songs can be fairly simple and easy to get understand, while there are others where they put in some incredibly complex runs with guitar and keyboards as one. This is a concept album, inspired by William Blake, and they provide some interesting notes on the rationale behind each song and how it relates to Blake on their website, which is well worth investigating. This is a fresh and interesting album, and it will be interesting to see where they go from here, as while there are some places when it feels it does not really hit the mark due for one reason or another, there are plenty of others where it is exciting and inviting. This album is available both physically and digitally so why not check it out on Bandcamp.