Synanthesia
Synanthesia

In 1969, this album was released, a unique work by the band of the same name, a Scottish group consisting of singers and composers Dennis Homes and Leslie Cook, and Jim Fraser, who was dedicated to the wind section. All members were multi-instrumentalists.

Indeed, there are many instruments that make an appearance in this work: violin, vibraphone, saxophone, oboe, various winds; and yet the work manages to be cohesive, thanks especially to the prominently featured acoustic guitars throughout the album and catchy melodies without being banal, often melancholic as in "Trafalgar Square" or "The Tale Of The Spider and The Fly".

"Synanthesia" is a work permeated by a thoughtful, calm, velvety sadness, almost resigned, which at times gives way to frenzy and obsession. The blend of vibraphone, acoustic guitars, flute, and saxophone contributes to creating a particular, evocative and fascinating atmosphere, so much so that one hardly notices that percussion, except occasionally for the bongo, is not used. The music is dreamlike, unreal, sometimes fairy-tale-like. The lyrics are mostly inspired by Greek and Roman mythology, with an intimate vein, simple and not verbose.

"Synanthesia" has fallen into obscurity, but in my opinion, it deserved more. Who knows what path the group might have taken if they had managed to continue. In this music, I glimpsed the seeds of Genesis, Van Der Graaf Generator, and King Crimson.

I particularly recommend it to those who love both folk rock (Simon & Garfunkel, Donovan), acid folk, and prog folk groups (Tea&Symphony, Comus, Dr. Strangely Strange) and to those who have a special love for fingerstyle guitar.

If you want more information, you can visit Leslie Cook's website.