Sunbeam Rec.
Synanthesia (UK,1969)****°
Some 10 (?) years ago Synasthesia was reissued before on Elegy, but it seems like this is the first official re-release, with a 10 page booklet with extensive background notes and pictures.
Synasthesia were a London based trio. Their fusing acid folk style was distinctive from all other bands. The songs were somewhat kept relatively simple, but there was great attention to delicate, slightly progressive and original arrangements, with unusual instruments for an association with acidfolk (like some improvisational sax in dialogue with guitar and the melody on “Morpheus”), which makes the group sometimes less easy to place (-musicians in those days didn’t care much for categories, but just wanted to be expressive-). “Peek strangely and worried evening”, "Rolling and Tumbling" and “The tale of the spider and the fly” have a definite Donovan influence (-way of singing, guitar, and progressive flute-). The improvisation near the end of this track is rather psychedelic. Also very beautiful are the progressive acid folk arrangements on "Fates" and "Vesta" (with beautiful spinning guitar and sax,..). "Mnemosyne" goes a bit in the direction of Forest, but more exotic, with a beautiful oboe and acoustic guitars (besides some flute and violin). Also very beautiful is the almost Cohenesque-mood-of-melancholic "Just as the curtain finally falls", a track which clearly has some Incredible String Band influence.
This is generally accepted as being a top album and is considered a classic for acid folk lovers.
There's one bonus track added which was recorded in the same studios a few months later. It was intended as a track for a single to go along with the album, but except as an inclusion on some sampler in 1970, it was never released as such. Also this track is a fine inclusion, with some nice orchestration and flute, and very soft bongo..
