Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off

most annoying thing for me about this album is the drumming. it's so tragic he lost both guthrie and minnemann

Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off

This style doesn’t require crazy prog rock drumming tho

Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off

doesnt have to be very basic either

Album Rating: 3.5 | Sound Off

"None of this is really pop though. "



exaaaaaaaaaaaaaactly

Album Rating: 4.5

I feel like this is Steven Wilson in his comfort zone, after the departure of Minnemann and Govan. Some of the song have something new to offer though, but overall it feels pretty save.

I still enjoy this, the songs are good

Album Rating: 4.0

Agreed Kalkwiese. And what was there to do for SW after three monumental albums in a row...? Just some easy pop-rock songs. Nice but nothing special for SW, for a lot of other artists an album like this would have been a career high point.

All the talk in the press of this album being SW's take on "pop"music are a bit far fetched imo and just a way to make it "work" so to speak, not wanting to write that this album is just a bit less inspired than previous efforts, which is fine by me

Album Rating: 4.5

Well I am totally fine with him doing this thing.

But I was the most excited about songs like Song Of I and I wished there was more in that vein.

Album Rating: 3.5

I think this record is basically Porcupine Tree with some electropop influences. I wanted this to be something special but I don't think it is. Feels like him playing it safe and just grabbing attention by pretending to be a sellout or something. I agree with you Kalkwiese, I just didn't like the songs as much as you did I think.



But the songs I was the most excited about songs like Song Of I and I wished there was more in that vein. [2]

Album Rating: 3.0

Agreed with that whole comment, Beardog. It's exactly what I felt like when this came out. This was promoted like a great departure and I wanted it to be exactly that - but instead it's probably his most conventional solo effort yet

Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off

Many of his fans feel that way I’m sure, but I welcome the more straightforward art rock approach this has, and its all so varied, and the emotional effect isn’t subdued all that much.

Album Rating: 3.0

It has its moments, but I still feel like the way the songs are arranged feels a bit lazy. Like, Nowhere Now is a nice song and has a great chorus, but it feels kinda empty to me. Like something is missing in the instruments, and by that I don't mean the typical prog stuff like time changes etc., but ... I don't know, something that makes the song feel less hollow to me.



It certainly doesn't apply to all songs on here, but I feel like this is just very "tame", and that's not because it's rather soft ... I know a lot of softer albums that don't feel this tame, that much I know. I'm still trying to wrap my mind around it tbh

Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off

For me all of these songs do just enough to be really excellent, like both Nowhere Now and Permanating are great songs, elevated even more by their fantastic solo sections, even tho Permanatings is pretty brief. The chorus of Nowhere Now grew to be an album highlight for me over time actually, even though I always really liked it.

Refuge, Detonation, and Pariah all build in very compelling ways to amazing climaxes, each in very different ways.

Then you get a brief, beautiful, subdued track like Blank Tapes that’s just as great in a completely different way, just on the strength of the straightforward songwriting, and emotion being conveyed.

I could go on and on about all the ways this impressed me, it’s one of the most vibrant and enjoyable albums he’s been involved in imo

album kinda makes me puke and not in a good way

Album Rating: 3.5

The tracklist makes this record a tad worse too though, I feel like there are too many emotional ballad-type of songs, and the songs that aren't emotional ballads are songs like Permanating and Song of I, that don't really fit the record stylewise

Album Rating: 4.5

Yea, it's all over the place, but it doesn't bother that much. Permanating really feels misplaced though.

What I really like are the rock based songs like PWES and Asylum. It is not anything new to ST, but this guitar sound is so awesome. :D



Also the variety is a nice thing (I agree with Talon), but imo he should have made this much more of a departure. Song Of I is probably my favourite off this at the moment.

Album Rating: 3.0

Song Of I is my favorite as well, by a mile tbh ... I'd like to see him in go in a more electronic direction, I think trip-hop influences would suit him well. After drawing influences from prog rock acts of the 70s and now (supposedly) art rock from the 80s, how about 90s electronic acts like Massive Attack and Portishead? Would be interesting to hear.



@Talons: I definitely see why you were the first to write a review for this, and I also definitely agree that it is versatile. Sadly, it mostly feels uncoordinated and a bit reluctend to me. I had hoped my perception of this would be of the same kind as yours when this came out though :D

Album Rating: 3.5

Rik, I saw the Making of documentary, it's on YouTube. The creating process really made me appreciate it a bit more. Take a peek, i'd you'd like

Album Rating: 3.5

I don't really think the documentary adds that much, it's basically showing a lot of recording footage, would be cool to know more about the writing process imo

Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off

anyone heard the b-sides?

Album Rating: 3.5

I did. Wasn't impressed