Review Summary: A confident, airy and wonderfully played album that ranks among The Pineapple Thief’s best in the Harrison era, lacking only one big song or progressive epic to make it a classic
Anyone who has followed The Pineapple Thief for a long time, as this reviewer has since 2007, will notice that the band’s last decade has been unusually consistent. Since Gavin Harrison joined as a session drummer on Your Wilderness (2016) and became a full member with Dissolution (2018), the line-up of Bruce Soord, Jon Sykes, Steve Kitch and Harrison has worked as a real unit, and the two concerts seen so far (Prague 2019, Vienna 2025) were very convincing. Far and Wide is the first album on which the band openly aims to sound like it does on stage, and it ranks among the strongest records of this period.
The most obvious change is in the arrangements. They are airier and built from fewer layers, a deliberate decision so that the songs can be played live without studio tricks. The result is more space for every instrument, and the nine songs, running to just under 48 minutes, never feel overloaded. Steve Kitch, long the most restrained member, is considerably more present than before, not only in a single showcase but across several songs, and his solo in “Scattering Like Flies” is a real highlight. Jon Sykes plays melodic, very professional bass lines, and Harrison’s drumming is exactly what one expects from him: precise, yet inventive. Soord’s voice and guitar playing give the album its character. The songs also feel more like the product of a group than of a single songwriter, which is a noticeable shift from earlier records and probably a large part of why the band sounds so natural and coherent here.
The three singles, “New World Order”, “Hold the Ashes” and “God Knows”, are the most traditional rock songs on the album. “Hold the Ashes” is probably the strongest of them, while the rhythm of “New World Order” is interesting but makes it a little less immediate, and so less obviously a hit. The best material, however, is found in the five and six minute pieces. “Still Living” carries something of the old Pineapple Thief atmosphere, reminiscent of 10 Stories Down. “This Empty Space” is memorable for its key changes, and “Scattering Like Flies” builds towards an energetic central section with a keyboard and guitar solo. “Through the Noise” contains very strong passages, but its chorus is somewhat formulaic. “Who Wants It?” is a lively, well-made rock song that will probably work very well in concert. The longest track, “No Exceptions”, closes the album. Despite its melancholy it comes across as slightly shallow, and it is questionable whether it is the right way to end the record.
What the album lacks is also fairly clear. There is no real “big” song of the kind the band has written before, such as “Versions of the Truth”, “No Man’s Land” or “It Leads to This”, or from the older catalogue “Clapham” and “Alone at Sea”. There is also no long progressive piece in the manner of “White Mist” or “What Have We Sown?”. “This Empty Space” would have had the potential to grow into one, but it ends too early, just when it seems to open up.
The real breakthrough seems to be missing, and that is the reason for four stars instead of five. It remains a very good album, and not only for existing fans: anyone interested in modern progressive rock with strong songwriting and excellent musicianship should hear it.
