This has been a fantastic week of new releases. Fans that
want their music with more experimentation and creativity need look no further
than these 3 new albums.
First up is the new album from Steven Wilson, The Raven That
Refused To Sing. For those of you that aren’t familiar with Steven, he is
the founder of Porcupine Tree and
has been involved in many prog and experiment endeavors both as an artist and a
producer. Never before has he reached these heights however. It may pain some
Tree fans out there, but this album is definitely the best thing he has ever
done, and that is saying something. It is the culmination of what he’s been
trying to achieve with Porcupine Tree. Progressive art rock and fusion fans
will love it, but there’s more here going on that should attract others as
well. Serious Yes fans will have a
hay day with the first track, “Luminol” which borrows liberally from the band,
including the Drama style opening and
the vocals and arrangements at about 7:40 into the song. There is also some flute
and orchestration that reminds me of Chris
Squire’s Fish Out of Water solo
album. In fact, the bass on this first track is very Yes and King Crimson, which shouldn’t be a
total surprise as the bass and Chapman player on this album is the amazing Nick Beggs who ranks up there with the
greats. This album pushes the limits and boundaries unlike anything that you
have heard in awhile. If only the groups and artists that influenced this
record were still making albums as good as this. Just because you can hear some
blatant influences here and there doesn’t mean this one isn’t original. The
best way I can describe it is Steven took the best of his Porcupine Tree style
to a whole other level. You can definitely hear him and that bands sound all
over the record. There is no doubt this is Steven Wilson, but it is so much
better than his first solo album or anything he’s done. The vocals, the
arrangements and the songs are all superb and one step beyond. It’s edgy, it is
beautiful and somehow manages to be both melodic and experimental at the same
time. Not a bad song on it and it is diverse enough to hold the interested of
even the most jaded listeners. Steven Wilson has made his Fragile or OK Computer.
Check it out here: http://stevenwilsonhq.com/
Speaking of OK
Computer, I gave up on Thom Yorke
and Radiohead years ago. I have
bought and listened to everything he’s done, but the only 3 albums I can
stomach were the first three, Pablo Honey,
The Bends and OK Computer. Part of that may be because they were so brilliant and
Thom and the boys couldn’t live up to that. But the songwriting itself, not to
mention the sound, took a sharp turn into ambient drudgery that is so awful; I
think no one would buy it if it didn’t have the name Radiohead on it. That’s my
opinion, please don’t flame me for it. I know so many critics fall all over
themselves for everything that band touches but it’s not for me. Thom’s solo
effort and work outside of Radiohead has also left me wanting…until now. Thom
has put together a band with Nigel
Godrich (Radiohead’s long-time producer) and Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
called Atoms For Peace and this week saw the release of their debut album,
Amok. Thom and the crew have been working on this one since 2010 and Yorke’s
electronic experimentation continues on this album, but what makes it work here,
versus everything he’s attempted since OK Computer, are the songs. They have a
groove; they have vocals and real instrumentation that you can hear. The elements all come together here to form a
quirky mix that electronica fans and Radiohead fans should equally enjoy. I
don’t love it, but I like it, a lot. It is extremely creative and original,
unlike anything else out there. Thom’s voice shines when he lets it and I think
this is going to be incredible when performed live. That said, it’s not a hooky
record with memorable melodies for a sing-a-long, nor can you dance to it (not
that I’m looking for anything to dance to) but it is full of quirky keyboards
and sounds that manage to hold my interest. Thom’s lyrics are moody and
interesting and the music is experimental and fun enough to hold your interest.
This is an album to put on when you really want something different to listen
to. Start with the tracks “Before My Very Eyes” and “Ingenue.” The artwork and
packaging are brilliant as well.
Check it out here: http://atomsforpeace.info/
While Atoms For Peace is a good record, it probably won’t
make my top ten this year, we’ll see how things shape up. One record that
definitely will make it is the new one from Everything Everything. I have saved the best for last here. The new
one is called Arc and it is yet
another brilliant album coming out of the UK. This one sets itself apart though
by managing to be totally original. Arc
is only available as an import right now, but it is worth the extra few bucks.
The amazon.co.uk store has the deluxe version with a disc of 6 bonus tracks and
it is well worth the price of admission! I discovered this band back in 2010 at
SXSW and they were fantastic. Their Man
Alive album had a couple of great songs that I played on the ObviousPopCast. Arc is a huge step forward
though because the entire record is great, from start to finish. You can
currently get two of the tracks from the album (both are very good) on iTunes
right now. The first single and one of my favorites is “Cough Cough.” Great
song, and dare I use this word again, it’s very “quirky!” Take that Andre Salles! I actually have Andre to
thank because I wasn’t aware this new one was releasing and he gave me the
heads up. Check out his totally different an much more professional reviews at www.tm3am.com . Another stand out track is “Kemosabe”
and is also available now on the “Cough Cough” EP on iTunes. If you like those
2 tracks you’ll love the entire record. If you don’t, well, what in the world
is wrong with you?
Check it out here: http://www.everything-everything.co.uk/home
COMING SOON: New
podcast with new music and more!