Midlands Rocks readers will recognise the name Carl Baldassarre as one of the founding members of progressive rock legends Syzygy. What they might not know is that he also had a parallel career in the world of classical music, two genres that share a love of lengthy, complex compositions. In a move that’s typical of Carl’s musical journey, his latest album, Retroduction, finds him veering off on a tangent, and sounding nothing like his previous incarnations. This is an album that finds Carl going back-to-basics, writing a selection of short songs that are devoid of any extraneous frills (but big on thrills). Featuring fifteen deceptively simple tracks that hark back to great composers such as Burt Bacharach and Jimmy Webb, Carl Baldassarre has made the album he wanted to, and the one you’ve always wanted to hear.

Recorded at London’s Abbey Road Studios and Sweetwater Studios in the USA, what really hits you about aptly-titled, opening track ‘Right Back Where I Started’ is its feel. As with the whole album, there’s a definite ‘70s aesthetic emanating from the grooves, it’s rich, luxurious and chocolatey, and flows like a river of silk. It’ll fill your head with visions of flocked wallpaper, lava lamps and condiments on cocktail sticks; if you’re old enough to remember that era, it’ll magically transport you back, if not, it’ll give you a good indication of what you missed. Aided by a warm, lustrous production that gives the album plenty of depth, this is an album that wraps itself around the listener like a warm blanket and sticks tight over the course of its running time (and, indeed, long after the disc’s stopped spinning).

You might think an artist returning to their roots would be the antithesis to progression, yet Retroduction is the sound of an artist stepping outside their comfort zone. Sometimes when a performer has less tools in their kit it forces them to become more creative, and that’s precisely what happens here. The limited colours on Carl’s musical palette are mixed into exciting shades and that turns tracks such as ‘The Lord Rescued Me’ into evocative soundscapes and wide vistas that are painted with bold strokes and bright splashes. It’s an approach which allows him to bring musical dynamics to the fore, with loud sections acting as a foil to the quiet, with each highlighting and enhancing the other; not only within individual songs, but throughout the whole album. In another nod to the ‘70s, this is an album that flows like an old school record with the upbeat ‘Circadian Rhythm’ sitting next to the achingly beautiful ‘Lily’ quite effortlessly. Vocally too, Retroduction allows Carl to explore new textures and he croons like a torch singer on ‘It’s Christmas Each Day’ and evoking the spirit of Glen Campbell on ‘Joe’s Song’. It means that this album is best consumed whole to fully appreciate its intriguing ululation.

Rather than being a retrogressive step, Retroduction signposts a bright future.

• Retroduction is released on 16th May 2025 and is available here.
• Official Website | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube Channel

Track List:

1. Right Back Where I Started
2. Shine On
3. The Lord Rescued Me
4. Nothing Left To Give
5. Circadian Rhythm
6. Lily
7. Forever With Ypu
8. The Ballad Of Dorian Gray
9. Miracles
10. It’s Christmas Each Day
11. Joe’s Song
12. Lullabye
13. You’re The One
14. More
15. While We’re Still Friends