Label: Dyad Records (CD) / Tonefloat (vinyl)
Release date: 13 March 2026
Production: Soft Machine
Length: 64.46 min
Genre: Progressive Rock / Canterbury Scene
Rating: 9.0/10
»Thirteen« is the band’s thirteenth studio album, and it also happens to feature thirteen new tracks, courtesy of British prog rock legends Soft Machine. It’s flat-out incredible that Soft Machine are still with us in 2026, considering the original members are long gone (apart from Robert Wyatt and the mysterious Larry Nowlin, who may or may not still be alive, they’ve all passed away), and of the musicians who played on at least one album from the seventies, only guitar maestro John Etheridge remains. Together with seasoned saxophonist Theo Travis, who is also well known to fans of modern prog rock thanks to his work with Steven Wilson, Etheridge keeps the group’s legendary name alive.
»Thirteen« is the third studio album since they came back, wildly successfully, as Soft Machine rather than Soft Machine Legacy, which kicked off their modern era. From the very first listen it’s clear that »Thirteen« is a classic Soft Machine album, one that will enchant every jazz rock fusion connoisseur out there. Even though Soft Machine, probably the key representatives of the so-called Canterbury scene, started out as psychedelic rockers, by their third album, the cult »Third« (1970), they had established themselves as exceptionally gifted jazz rock fusionists, and through the seventies they honed that style to a remarkable polish, with only a handful of kindred (and sadly mostly forgotten these days) British jazz rock fusion bands able to compete with them (Nucleus, Brand X, Colosseum, Colosseum II and Isotope, to name the best known).
»Lemon Song« is a relaxed, ambient and pleasant way into the new album. Things pick up a bit on the melancholic »Open Road«, which features harmonic passages between guitar, saxophone and Hammond organ. The high point of the track is the fascinating solo turns from Travis and Etheridge, which make it quickly clear why they’re the main engines of the modern Soft Machine. Even though »Thirteen« is mostly a fairly easy listen compared to their highly experimental albums from the early seventies, there are a few exceptions where longer improvisations and chaotic sections, not exactly family-friendly for some, take over for a while, such as on »Seven Hours« and »Turmoil«.
On »Waltz for Robert«, with a strong emphasis on eclectic percussion and flute, the modern Soft Machine pay tribute to founding drummer and vocalist Robert Wyatt, who left a major mark on their first four albums before going solo (after a short adventure with the band Matching Mole). Robert, who last performed on stage at the end of 2016, is still alive today as one of the two surviving founding members of Soft Machine, although he has been confined to a wheelchair since 1973.
At a symbolic thirteen minutes, »The Longest Night« is the most ambitious composition on »Thirteen« and a real jazz rock fusion masterpiece, marked by an incredibly fluid atmosphere, eclectic rhythmic twists, rustling layers of Hammond organ, witty wind-instrument touches and masterful guitar passages that will leave many (once again) struck by the realization that Etheridge is surely one of the most overlooked prog rock/jazz rock guitar masters. Among the standout cuts on »Thirteen«, »Green Books« is also worth a mention. With its unbridled experimental streak and outstanding sax soloing, it’s some of the best stuff they’ve made since dropping the Legacy tag.
The closer »Daevid’s Special Cuppa« is an exceptionally lovely gesture from the modern Soft Machine, as it pays tribute to the character and work of the legendary guitarist/vocalist Daevid Allen, yet another co-founder who has sadly passed away, and who made his name immortal above all as the chieftain of international prog rock innovators Gong. Daevid is even present on this track posthumously, on guitar. That means that more than ten years after his death, and sixty years after the founding of Soft Machine, his guitar work has finally landed on one of their studio albums. Until now, Daevid’s only official recording as a member of Soft Machine was the single »Love Makes Sweet Music« from 1968, right before he left the band.
For Soft Machine’s sixtieth anniversary, there’s no better gift for the faithful than a superb new album that can stand shoulder to shoulder with some of their most fascinating achievements. Thirteen is a lucky number for Soft Machine, because with »Thirteen« they’ve once again more than proven that they’re one of the rare long-lived bands without a single original member that is fully justified in carrying on in the studio and on stage. For the big anniversary, it’s also a wonderful tribute to all the great musical names, not just Robert and Daevid, who once passed through their ranks. A fun fact: the most famous former Soft Machine member is surely the legendary guitarist Andy Summers (The Police), who was with them in 1968 for just two months, and even then only for a few live shows.
Author: Peter “Dr. ProgRock” Podbrežnik
Tracklist:
1. Lemon Poem Song (3.27)
2. Open Road (7.30)
3. Seven Hours (5.12)
4. Waltz for Robert (4.19)
5. The Longest Night (13.08)
6. Disappear (3.55)
7. Green Books (5.46)
8. Beledo Balado (4.32)
9. Pens To The Foal Mode (2.42)
10. Time Station (2.46)
11. Which Bridge Did You Cross (2.49)
12. Turmoil (5.30)
13. Daevid’s Special Cuppa (3.10)
Lineup:
John Etheridge – guitar
Theo Travis – saxophone, flute, electronics, Rhodes piano, duduk
Fred Baker – fretless bass guitar
Asaf Sirkis – drums, piano
Special guests:
Pete Whittaker – Hammond organ
Daevid Allen (R.I.P.) – guitar on track no. 13
