Fearful Symmetry – I’ve Started, So I’ll Finish…

I’ve Started, So I’ll Finish… is the highly praised 2025 third studio album by Fearful Symmetry, a London-based progressive rock project originally created by cousins Suzi James and Jeremy Shotts. Masterminded by multi-instrumentalist Suzi James and released via Progrock.com’s Essentials, I’ve Started, So I’ll Finish… is a 10-track musical journey that seamlessly blends elements of neo-prog, jazz fusion, art rock, and world music. It serves as the follow-up to their highly acclaimed sophomore album, The Difficult Second.

Suzi James is a versatile multi-instrumentalist handling guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, flute, violin, oud, and mandolin. On the project’s third full-length release, she is again joined by Sharon Petrover on drums and Yael Shotts on vocals. On this latest opus, the band keeps things thoughtful, melodic, rock-oriented, and jazzy while delivering deceptively complex arrangements.

Providing a joyful start to the album, the opening track “One by One” kicks off with drums, showcasing marvelous guitar playing and Yael’s expressive voice throughout. This is a fantastic song that mixes heavy blues and rock with plenty of groove. The follow-up track, “Hard As Diamonds,” features more excellent guitar work, dreamy keyboard parts, and the mysterious, expressive vocals of Yael Shotts. The subsequent track, “The Demented Third,” shifts gears as the album’s first instrumental—a hard-rocking piece featuring a beautiful flute solo in the middle. “On the Streets Today” deals with themes of lies and truth, offering great storytelling with lovely, expressive vocals and a perfect, emotional guitar solo. One of the finest modern folk-rock songs, “The Dance of the Ghillie Dhu,” follows with powerful songwriting and sophisticated guitar work that creates beautiful, dreamy soundscapes. “There Are No Words” serves as the second instrumental, highlighting James’ musical skills, while the third instrumental, “Theme For An Imaginary Cop Show,” spotlights great keyboard passages and outstanding guitar picking. This wonderful album culminates in its standout ten-minute epic finale, “The Tears of the Gods.” The longest track builds a distinct atmosphere using ambient vocals and dreamy chords, smoothly shifting from airy flute melodies and brooding, darker passages into heavier, driving progressive rock. Towards the end, an addictive, soaring guitar solo by Suzi James lifts the track into a vibrant and symphonic finale.

In summary, I’ve Started, So I’ll Finish… is a masterpiece of sonic architecture—a wonderful album that reveals more of its secrets with each listen. With its flawless genre-blending, intricate harmonic depth, and breathtaking technical precision, I’ve Started, So I’ll Finish… manages to be both complex and accessible, offering 53 minutes of great music across ten tracks. For further information visit their bandcamp.