Long Earth

There are albums that try to impress the listener with sheer technical virtuosity. And then there are albums that simply take you on a journey. The wonderful thing is: Long Earth manage to do both on “Towards the Sky”.

The Scottish progressive rock outfit release their fourth studio album, Towards the Sky, on 27 June 2026 via Bakeneko. In doing so, the band remain true to their progressive roots while simultaneously expanding their sound with new dimensions, once again combining sophisticated arrangements with remarkable accessibility.

Long Earth were founded in 2016 by keyboardist and band leader Mike Baxter. Together with guitarist Renaldo McKim, bassist David McLachlan, drummer Kenny McCabe and new vocalist Maaike Siegerist, the band now sound stronger and more versatile than ever.

If anyone suspects that Towards the Sky is merely a relaxed rock album with a few synthesizers in the background, they can breathe easy. Quite the opposite, in fact. Long Earth clearly relish the little and large surprises that have defined progressive rock for decades. Unexpected twists, intriguing rhythmic shifts, atmospheric detours and elegant musical turns appear throughout the album, often at precisely the moment you least expect them. These are the moments that reveal something new with every subsequent listen.

The voice of Maaike Siegerist adds an almost ethereal dimension to the sound. Combined with the band’s signature keyboards and atmospheric guitars, the result is a musical landscape that deliberately avoids unnecessary heaviness or technical showmanship, instead focusing on mood, dynamics and a wonderfully cohesive overall sound.

Thematically, the album quite literally looks to the skies. Its nine songs draw inspiration from astronomy, space exploration and humanity’s enduring desire to push beyond its limitations.

There is “The Astronomer”, dedicated to Galileo Galilei, the man who forever changed our understanding of the universe. In “Moon and Mars”, we accompany the new generation of private space pioneers, while “Breathless”, the album’s first single, explores the famous “Overview Effect” – that overwhelming feeling astronauts experience when looking back at Earth and suddenly realising just how beautiful and fragile our planet truly is.

Yet Towards the Sky is not solely concerned with stars and galaxies. “Seahorses” celebrates individuality and encourages people to be themselves. “Artificial Child” reflects on the opportunities and risks of artificial intelligence from a scientist’s perspective. “Monochrome” gives a voice to the threatened natural world, while “First Casualty” is dedicated to journalists who have lost their lives in war zones. Even love gets its moment with “Colours” – naturally with a distinctly progressive twist.

What ultimately makes Towards the Sky so successful is its sense of balance. The album is melodic, accessible and highly enjoyable without ever becoming predictable or superficial. The songs are allowed to breathe, developing organically and continually rewarding attentive listening with interesting ideas and unexpected details.

And honestly – as prog fans, we all know these are often the most rewarding albums. The ones that charm you on the first listen, surprise you on the second and somehow reveal three more things you completely missed by the third.

With Towards the Sky, Long Earth may well have created their most complete and cohesive work to date. It is an album filled with atmosphere, humanity and musical discoveries – one that proves you do not necessarily need a rocket ship to embark on a great journey.

And who knows? By the end of these 66 minutes, you may well find yourself looking up at the night sky a little more often.

Incidentally: Anyone wishing to get an early taste of Towards the Sky should mark 27 June 2026 at 20:00 CET in their diary. The new Sound of Prog show “Stranger in a Strange Land” will feature and present two tracks from the album in detail. You can tune in live at www.soundofprog.com/listen. After all, journeys to the stars are always better when shared.