JONAS LINDBERG & THE OTHER SIDE – Time Frames (2025)
JONAS LINDBERG & THE OTHER SIDE are one of the most talented bands to emerge from Sweden (an accomplishment indeed), creating like a few a successful combination of neo progressive with luxury melodic rock arrangements.
The band’s upcoming new album “Time Frames” sees Lindberg continue to hone his songwriting, performance and production skills, and to elevate the project with a quiet determination to the higher echelons of Swedish Prog. The interesting thing about the album is that although Lindberg is clearly the main protagonist and the only musical composer, the record has the feeling of a full band foray. This is always the sign of a great producer, but at the end of the day, no-one will care whether this is labeled as a band or solo project, so consistently good is the end result.
Opener ‘End of the Road’ is melodic Prog heaven, complete with time changes, atmospheres and a sense of melodic, accessible and timeless sound. Next ‘Someone Like Me’ takes a different approach – it is a concise, quirky and very clever acoustic-pop meander with a strong hook that will have you whistling along in no time.
‘Faces of Stone’ is a highlight, a highly polished exposition of the wonder of Swedish symphonic prog, expressed in 5/8 timing. With swirling keyboard runs, an excellent Jonas Sundqvist lead vocal and a beautifully tight groove, the track shows that Lindberg is by now a very mature and highly accomplished writer and producer. The song just works, and its effortless feel belies how intricate it is.
‘Galactic Velvet’ features the dulcet lead vocals of Jenny Storm. She creates just the right amount of sweetness in her delivery and the track works perfectly as a result. Strong melodies build against the counterpoint of a spoken word part and these sections combine to lend a dramatic sci-fi feel to the track. Culminating in a brilliant lead guitar solo from Calle Schönning, the song is cinematic and visual, but never tacky.
‘Gruvan’ is the album’s highly impressive instrumental track. To be fair, its intro sounds remarkably similar to ‘When the Earth Meets the Sky’ by Karmakanic, but that fact is of itself indicative of its quality. After that tribute, it proceeds to yield some excellent instrumental mayhem that is absolutely not derivative.
Sixth track ‘Running Out of Time’ starts off as a baroque-flavored ballad with a singular piano chord alternating with left and right panning to great effect. Soon acoustic guitars kick in and very quickly the song explodes into a melodic chorus with a very memorable hook. It’s the most straight forward and accessible track on the album – a nice change of pace between the previous instrumental track and the epic that is yet to come. It still does have a killer middle with a fiery guitar solo and great vocal harmonies that carry the song home.
Final track ‘The Wind’, almost 18 minutes in length, is the true tester of this album. It presents a consolidation into one song of the variety of the band’s skills, from ethereal soundscapes to full-on rock, pop to pomp and melody to complex instrumentals. Beginning with an imperious keyboard riff, the track cuts no corners in traversing its journey. Jonas Sundqvist’s lead vocal is particularly impressive here and Jonathan Lundberg’s always solid drumming is a tasteful anchor, especially during the 7/8 section. Lindberg’s fretless and fretted bass is also not to be underestimated – he is a fine player. The song rocks out at about the 8-minute mark, with Storm this time showing her more aggressive side. The track is a great closer to the album and emphatically places Jonas Lindberg & The Other Side near the apex of 2025’s symphonic melodic Prog scene.
”Time Frames” is an album that does not rush its delivery. It takes its own time expressing itself, and it grabs each key articulation at just the right moment. Perfectly produced, magnificently written and eminently performed, this album feels like a graduation of sorts.
Jonas Lindberg and his cohorts may be young and still relatively unheralded, but they deliver elegant melodic progressive music that is as good as the very best out there.
Highly Recommended
01 – End Of The Road
02 – Someone Like Me
03 – Faces Of Stone
04 – Galactic Velvet
05 – Gruvan
06 – Running Out Of Time
07 – The Wind
Jonas Lindberg – keyboards, acoustic & electric guitars, bass, mandolin, ukulele, programming, lead vocals (2,6,7), backing vocals
Jonas Sundqvist – lead vocals (1,3,7), backing vocals
Jenny Storm – lead vocals (4,7), backing vocals
Calle Schönning – electric guitars (1,3,4,5,7)
Nicklas Thelin – acoustic & electric guitars (1,4,5,6,7)
Joel Lindberg – electric guitars (5,6)
Maria Olsson – percussion
Jonathan Lundberg – drums
Conny Lindgren – violins (2)
Pre order:
lasercd.com/cd/time-frames-0
