Review Summary: An excellent transition in Porcupine Tree’s prog trajectory
1996’s Signify is where Porcupine Tree began the transition from a quirky little psych curiosity to a genuine alt-prog powerhouse. It’s not a drastic change as the emphasis remains on atmospheric textures and dreamlike meandering like their three first albums, but the pop elements are more noticeable and the instrumental tracks feel more structured than before. This comes down to more purposeful writing but the complete move from Steven Wilson solo project to a full proper band no doubt plays into it as well.
The two-part “Waiting” shows this duality in action as the first part’s pleasantly layered vocals and subtle bass flow smoothly into the second part’s hand percussion and warped soundscapes. “The Sleep of No Dreaming” throws in some great contrasts between its subdued verses and the chorus’s somber fanfare while “Sever” pairs distorted eastern drones and echoing vocals to disorienting effect. “Every Home Is Wired” also sets a template for softer Porcupine Tree tracks to come, driven by a mix of spacey echoes and acoustic strums that get some extra vocal interplay piled on for the choruses before descending into another tripped out sequence, and “Dark Matter” is an excellent closer with a crawling tempo and more drawn out dynamics.
The instrumentals end up being some of the best tracks, offering their own catchy moments and ambiance. The title track is a fun jolt coming for the spoken intro, playing around with a fuzzy riff ripped from Neu!’s “Hallogallo” to appropriately krautrock-friendly driving effect, and I love how “Idiot Prayer” goes between quiet builds and an explosive rave-like thrust with throbbing bass and bobbing tribal beat. “Intermediate Jesus” threatens a similar build that never fully detonates, but the jazzy rhythms have that old improvisational feel made more purposeful by the sermon samples.
Overall, Signify is an excellent album that marks the transition in Porcupine Tree’s discography without feeling too awkward. The pacing can still a little too meandering at times and the catchiness is rather subtle compared to future installments, but it has a certain best of both worlds appeal as the pop songs have enough experimental sensibilities to fit in with the spaced out showcases. The synergy is on point throughout and the varying effects make it perfectly suited to a good pair of headphones. It’s not the first release I’d recommend to an unfamiliar listener but is absolutely worth checking out.
