Today, another new band to review, with interesting new progressive rock music.
Fearful Symmetry released their sophomore album The Difficult Second, back on July 15, 2022, on English label Distrokid. The Difficult Second,follows the band’s successful debut, Louder Than Words, from2019.
Fearful Symmetry is made up of band members: Lead guitarist, Suzi James, who sings backing vocals, plays basses, keyboards, mandolin, violin, oud, and darbuka; Yael Shotts, who sings lead vocals and their arrangements; and Sharon Petrover, on drums and drum arrangements. Fearful Symmetry was created by cousins, Jeremy Shotts and Suzi James.
The Difficult Second, conceptualizes, as Suzi states, “Among these diverse tracks in the sand, may you find familiarity, comfort, hope, joy, and amusement. Experience the songs at face value, or seek the not-so-hidden contemporary stories, Cause, you know sometimes words have two meanings”.
This is a unique sounding album full of surprises. Each track has its highlights.
“Mood Swings and Roundabouts”, was inspired by, as Suzi puts it, “Something I overheard as I was pushing my trolley around the local supermarket. A couple of older fellows were catching up with each other, “So, how’s the missus?”, “oh, the usual – mood swings, and roundabouts”. I tied it into a jaunty song about separation – probably over one half’s particular taste in prog music”. The track almost has a country beat and twang to it, but the cool keyboards and Yael Shott’s, Yes-like vocals, bring the sound back to prog. A nice bouncy song with a solid beat and some amazing keyboards and guitar soloing, just past the middle of the track. A fun/happy song you might use as a morning starter.
The title track, “The Difficult Second”, has some wonderful guitar work and keyboards at its opening. Suzi states, that it might be about, “A faulty alarm clock”. A great instrumental.
“Light of My Life”, is about, from Suzi’s perspective, “A lot of us will have been affected by deep personal loss in recent years – not just through Covid. For the musicians gone, we still have their music keeping them alive. There’s more to it, but that’s all I’ll say right now”. The lyrics are truly deep and personal. Definitely someone she misses very much. A great vocal stage for Yael Shotts, with soft piano, bass and soft drums.
“Shifting Sands”, opens like a great Santana song, until Yael sings the cool Middle Eastern – like vocal chants. The guitar work is spectacular and those Mid-East rhythms are wonderful to hear. Suzi states, that the song is, “An instrumental with a Middle Eastern vocalization from Yael that includes classic micro-tonal intervals”. Easily one of my favorites.
“Eastern Eyes”, is another song, with some Middle-Eastern music influence. It deals in a similar way with, “Difficult to build a future without a solid foundation. It takes courage and clear-headedness to ensure security and equality for succeeding generations”, according to Suzi. The guitar work on this one is amazing and memorable. Yael Shotts has a wonderful voice. I hear some influence from Kate Bush here. Another immediate favorite track.
“The Song of the Siren”, opens with deep, beautiful piano. Yael Shotts, really sounds like Kate Bush, on this track. Suzi says that the story of the song involves, “Greek mythology, or is it? Sexual predators appear in many disguises. I originally wrote this for an ‘80s rock band that I was playing in at the time. It’s changed a bit since then”.
“Hope”, almost opens like a Steely Dan song. With bright piano and great electric guitar. It turns prog fast though. But it retains some of that SD influence, if you listen carefully enough. It is about, “When it seems we have nothing left, or the world seems to be in turmoil, twisting itself in knots, there is always hope”, according to Suzi.
Be careful! The “Sandworm”, approaches! Yes, I am a Dune fan, like Suzi. She states, “I wrote this about 10 years ago as an instrumental, but added lyrics two years ago. And then the remake of Dune, was released. Big fan here”. Me too. Great coverage of the movie, with themed influence, on this prog classic. I really enjoyed the synthesizers on this one.
“Shukraan Jazilaan”, or loosely translated from Arabic, “Thank you, very much”; is, according to Suzi, “Another instrumental using middle eastern scales, among others. The original version got its first airing about seven years ago at a ‘special’ birthday party for my cousin Jeremy Shotts – who introduced me to Yossi Sassi, (and the Oriental Rock Orchestra), and his musician friends, plus my galactic guitar mentor Daniel Weiss”. One of the most – fun tracks on the album. Get up out of your chair! Such a great beat you can dance to it. When was the last time anyone said that about a track on a prog album? Can’t remember? Yeah, me either….
“Warlords”, is “An epic”, according to Suzi, “This started many years ago and has been through many revisions since. I wrote it for a prog band I was in during 1975-1980 called Bazazz. I designed the cover with clues to the songs – plus my kitchen clock and me sinking into the sands of time”. Jeremy Shotts, Suzi’s cousin, contributed lyrics to an epic (15 minute!) track. Great music, and instrumental performance, including marching soldiers, horses and colorful sounds.
This is a very interesting and delightful progressive rock album. It is modern, with some of the sounds, you might find on classic progressive rock albums, without being overburdened. I enjoyed it enough that, I’d come back for more!
Track List:
1 – Mood Swings and Roundabouts – 6:00
2 – The Difficult Second – 3:56
3 – Light of My Life – 5:39
4 – Shifting Sands – 4:07
5 – Eastern Eyes – 5:15
6 – The Song of the Siren – 4:57
7 – Hope – 5:36
8 – Sandworm – 6:37
9 – Shukraan Jazilaan – 3:23
10 – Warlords – 14:50
The Digipack CD was mixed and mastered by Suzi James. Artwork, care of: © Suzi James and print design by Pat Sanders. Lyrics created by: © Suzi James and Jeremy Shotts on “Warlords”. The album had a digital release on Bandcamp.com on 15 July 2022. A CD is now also available. Huge thanks to Jon Farley of ‘Checking for Echo Project’, for his assistance with plug-ins, mixing and mastering advice.
Social Media:
https://www.fearfulsymmetry.rocks/
https://www.facebook.com/FearfulSymmetryRocks/
sign expertise, and assistance with CD replication services for The Difficult
https://fearfulsymmetry.bandcamp.com/album/the-difficult-second
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