Metavari – Be One of Us and Hear No Noise

Fort Wayne, Indiana’s Metavari craft delicate post rock songs, brimming with tension and sparse beauty.  Tommy Cutter (guitar), Andrew McComas (drums), Nate Utesch (keys), and Ty Brinneman (bass) mix dense instrumental interplay with toned-down electronica rather pleasantly, creating a wonderful balance of their abilities on the LP Be One of Us and Hear No Noise.  Also, Metavari injects some fresh insights into the genre, particularly their use of recorded radio or film snippets spliced in to accentuate the tone and feel of Be One of Us and Hear No Noise.

The record itself flows spendidly, nicely weaving into new chapters while maintaining a crucial continuity.  From album opener “Kings Die Like Other Men,” a song that includes spoken recordings about optimism long past for the now-fallen Detroit, to the epic closer “Pacific Lights,” the LP moves deftly without spinning too far out of control. Be One of Us and Hear No Noise creates an atmosphere of delicate openness while still maintaining a dramatic element as it careens to the close.  Only one song serves purely as an interlude (the penultimate track “Story for a Song Without an End”) and it features the mellifluous chatter of a child which surely lends the record its air of innocence and imagination, so even the song-as-a-plot-device placement is forgivable.

The album truly builds, however, to “Pacific Lights,” a shimmering track that contains elemental similarity to the other groundwork laid on Be One of Us and Hear No Noise but then meanders into territory unexplored previously.  The guitars and electronics mingle gleefully, creating the climax that eludes the listener in the previous acts of the LP.  The drums drive and guide the string-laden rise of “Pacific Lights,” constantly building, growing, maturing into a understated yet explosive swirl akin to the breakdown of an Agaetis byrjun song (the sparse and playful nature of this particular LP reminds me very much of the set of songs Sigur Ros created for Merce Cunningham’s “Split Sides”).  At this point, the electronics seem far from the fray, while strings and harps swell, cymbals crash, the snare drum stutters, and the clouds open for a split second before sliding closed.

Overall, Metavari’s debut LP is an all-out impressive effort, a solid instrumental/post-rock genre entry that constantly feels airy and sharp, smart and calculated, pretty and dense.  Never is there too much instrumentation or too little; great effort was clearly poured into finding the right balance of Metavari’s elements.  From a band that once rearranged Pet Sounds in front of a sold-out theater audience, it seems that they’ve taken notes from the perfectly arranged albums of years past and applied it to their own sound.  Be One of Us and Hear No Noise stands as a great debut from a band that can now delve deeper into lesser-explored regions of other genres; they have nothing left to prove in this one.

Castanets – Texas Rose, The Thaw, and The Beasts

Touted as one of the pioneers and leaders of the “freak folk” movement of the 2000s, Castanets is also known for their ever changing line up. Sometimes a few members, other times a full-fledged band but most of the time, one sole band leader; Castanets is still one of the most unique bands on the market.

San Diego-born and raised, Raymond Raposa’s music as Castanets is fittingly gripping. City of Refuge seemed so much like an intimate listen that it felt almost unfair to be sharing this music with Raposa. And while it packed a stiffly weighty punch, there was much to be desired. So, if that’s the album about solitaire relations, Texas Rose, The Thaw, and the Beasts is an equally weighty album with the corresponding heavy music to boast. So in essence, if this comes off as saying that this is Castanets best album so far, then so it is.

Nothing left to be desired here; in blunt terms, Texas Rose, The Thaw, and the Beasts is a victoriously awesome album. Folk is easy, sure, but Raposa covers so much space in the span of 39 minutes; the only other way of describing such diversity is by pointing out its sheer eclecticism. At first, the sharply bright rhythm at the start of “Worn from the Fight (With Fireworks)” could sound like a skipping CD but it reveals itself as the song’s unnerving pace. And later, while Raposa has help in the form of a gentle-voiced female, the sparkling guitar lends a glistening effect.

But mostly, Raposa’s music is especially affected by his confident use of style shifts and universally powerful methods. The opening of “Rose” delivers on the preface of a quiet guitar and Raposa’s gin-soaked voice. Female singers that remind one of Dirty Projectors, a country shuffle reminiscent of Okkervil River and a closing horn section of who knows what, Raposa is focused and conscientious in his approach. And as he sings, “No mother, I’ve never felt so good, having married the world,” it climaxes into a song that is still resourcefully careful and boldly audacious.

While we’re at it, we might as well point out how much of a credit it is to Raposa in the way he rehearses and creates his music. A continuous work-aholic, his music has, in the same sense, continued to grow within his craft. And even when it’s a simple interlude (“We Kept Our Kitchen Clean and Our Dreaming Quiet”) seamlessly flowing into its ensuing passage, (“Down the Line, Love”) each move is gradually better than the previous. On the latter, the piano’s gleaming line is a direct copy of what Sufjan Stevens would write, and with Raposa singing to the set of country drums and a bitterly terse guitar solo, the fortune lies in the skill and ability.

There’s a certain kind of magic going on here and it needs to be accounted for. I won’t lie, the first few listens of Texas Rose, The Thaw, and the Beasts will probably leave you coldly affected. And that’s mostly due to its organically natural sound; it demands repeated listens and once fulfilled, it latches on and never let’s go. Raposa’s music has grown and is at the point where we can thankfully agree that he’s peaking; this band of delicate musicians have trustfully devoted a heart-warming album. The only thing left is to find it and let it overwhelm you.

Asthmatic Kitty Records

The Twilight Sad – Forget the Night Ahead

Dynamics, at the core, are an integral aspect to any sheet of music. And even at their most literal definition, the volume increased and decreased in a piece of music can mean everything to its success. While The Twilight Sad’s music borders on two different sets of dynamics: forte (loud) and piano (soft), their ability to manipulate them and force them into something splendidly stimulating is also, at the core, what they are all about as a band.

This isn’t a lesson on dynamics and their various combinations but, for The Twilight Sad, it is a strict lesson to us, as the listener, on the evocatively strong significance music can possess. The Scottish band arrived on the scene in 2007 with one of the year’s best albums, Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters and there were two easily identifiable facets to the band: the aforementioned dynamics and James Graham’s mesmerizing accent. The latter, thickly decorated in a refined cadence and sprawling with expression, was honored as one of the best introductory voices in years.

For certain, I am not sure how much of a calming force The Twilight Sad’s music can be perceived as. And if allowed, I would like to share a personal experience I had with their debut album. I’m pretty sure I got the record as a present from someone who knew I really wanted to get my hands on it. Things fall apart and for us, our relationship ended in the fall (or in this scenario, it be best to say autumn) of that year. I enjoyed the album just fine until one Friday I grabbed it as I left for work. My commute is usually about 20-25 minutes so that leaves a considerable amount devoted to music listening. Driving to work, it was moving me and when I got out, it poured it all over me. I was coming down the interstate and before I knew it, “Cold Days from the Birdhouse” had me bawling my eyes out.

My purpose in sharing that, and I am sure my editors would like me to get to the point quickly, is that even at our lowest points, the power of music compels us and moves us like no other. With all of that said, Forget the Night Ahead is a resoundingly superb follow-up to that same 2007 album. Lyrically darker than their other work and entirely capturing the essence of what makes The Twilight Sad an excellent band, it’s another amazing experience from top to bottom.

If you check out the song titles, it’s apparent that we’re in for something of a stunning experience. At first glance, “I Became a Prostitute”,follows the winning formula the band had previously set up. A wall of sound that penetrates with roaring guitars and drums that pound as if there is no tomorrow, it also features melodies and harmonies that are progressively and distinctively superior to anything the band has yet to write. There’s also a lot of piano, as in the instrument, showered throughout and it finds its way onto the album’s closer, “At the Burnside”. Graham’s voice is dark and terrifically strong and the piano adds dimensions of depth before the reverb of guitars and drums come cascading in. And just like that *snaps fingers* you have, arguably, the album’s finest sforzando.

One of the few changes is the addition of two instrumental pieces, “Scissors” and “Floorboards Under the Bed”. The former is a wonderful ambient piece with covers and covers of intertwining instruments while the latter begins with some spoken word and is highlighted by a soaring piano part. Both are equally vibrant and they provide clear and concise breathers in between the nine magnificently grandiose arrangements. And speaking of those arrangements, “Interrupted” is where the layered instrumentation proves how impressive these musicians are. Where the drums sound as if they are in the back, the guitars and bass hide underneath and Graham’s voice towers over everything, the remaining keyboards add significant substance.

It’s a captivating combination in so many regards, opting to release a successful EP last year and offering enough subtle changes, blended with proven features, Forget the Night Ahead is fantastic. Just peeking into the opener, “Reflection of the Television”, with its brooding patterns and chords, I’m sure it won’t be long until this album has others in tears as well.

Fat Cat Records

Ecovillage- Phoenix Asteroid

Ecovillage makes music so ethereal and airy that everything just seems suspended. The Swedish dream-poppers fill up the listener’s ears with an overload of synths, to encompass the band in a full haze. There’s no denying that Phoenix Asteroid is a crystal clear gaze into the essence of dream-pop, and for that representation, Ecovillage deserves credit. On the other hand, so many synths are commanding such a wide area, that a lot of melody doesn’t stick, so it can be very difficult to recall the record after you’ve just heard it. You can finish the record, know you heard a lot of soft falsettos and a lot of windy tones, but you can’t remember any of it specifically. Of course, maybe that’s not the point, but Ecovillage is constantly breathing vocals amid the music, so they do have pop sensibilities. But Ecovillage make their priorties clear, which is texture first, melody second.

A notable thing about this record is it sounds like it should have been released in the early 90′s. It sounds almost out of place in 2009, but there’s some nostalgia in hearing something that sounds almost dated. Ecovillage brings to mind The Cocteau Twins, who were at the forefront of this genre in the early 90′s, both evoking strong atmospheric music. One thing that’s tough to do is pick out any one song to write about. They are all very religious in their sound and format, and in a not-as-bad-as-it-sounds way, these songs are all very alike. Pick out “Horizons and Beyond” and it’ll probably have the same likability as “Here and Now.” The one difference on the album is the 16 minute long “Phoenix Asteroid,” which is as you might imagine it to be, a longer, spacier arrangement with a more reflective sound. It’s actually a cool song, kind of having a “Treefingers” type of feel to it, and if you can wade through 16 minutes, then you just mind find it to be the most rewarding track on the album.

The Cocteau Twins had their status because they excelled at making sleepy music but, also, you could sing along to something like “Heaven or Las Vegas,” and you’d probably remember that pretty well after the record was said and done. Ecovillage don’t have that hook to their music, which can make it fairly inaccessible, but if you’re into this genre or into textures over catchiness, then you’ll probably really enjoy this record. It’s arranged wonderfully, sounding so rich and warm that it works quite well as a 51 minute experience. Phoenix Asteroid is certainly an acquired taste, but if you’re up to the task, this is a good record, tailored to dream-pop’s specifications exactly.

Holmes covers David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance”

If you go to the movies or watch TV, you’ve heard the music of Roy Shakked, who answers to the nickname of HOLMES. Heavily influenced by the standards (and that means The Beatles, Stevie Wonder, Prince, ELO, Queen, and, OK, ), it’s not surprising that Hollywood has picked up on Roy’s tunes, placing them in programs and features such as CSI Miami, Sex and The City, The OC, Nip/Tuck, and The Devil Wears Prada.

The latest self-titled HOLMES album contains one of Shakked’s signature lush arrangements – this time for his cover of the David Bowie classic, “Let’s Dance” (MP3). Additionally, Shakked has completed the latest video from the album, for the sober breakup song, “Not With You” (VIDEO). The video documents a couple moving in together, breaking up and moving out – all in under three minutes.

Official Site: http://www.sweetholmes.com/

Nick Cave & Warren Ellis – White Lunar

With a shared connection to Australian melancholy and melodrama (as well as being susceptible to ill-advised facial hair and drug-addiction) it was perhaps inevitable that Dirty Three lynchpin Warren Ellis would eventually become Nick Cave’s (red) right hand man, especially when veteran Bad Seeds Mick Harvey and Blixa Bargeld quit their chief supporting lieutenant roles in recent years.  Besides taking on more multi-instrumentalist and co-writing duties within Cave’s Bad Seeds, Ellis has also played with Cave on his semi-solo tours, become a co-conspirator in sleaze-rocking side-project Grinderman and helped to stockpile an Aladdin’s Cave of film soundtrack material.  It’s the latter comradely pursuits that this new 2CD compilation attempts to put into a comfortable package for those who just can’t get enough from the twosome, or need a roadmap to understand where it leads into their better-known works; which it just about succeeds in doing.

The first disc rounds up highlights from the previously released soundtracks to the nouveau westerns The Assassination of Jesse James and The Proposition, along with material composed for the score of an upcoming adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s novel The Road. On the four tracks from the former, it’s Ellis who leads the way via his masterful violin-playing – with Cave backing him up with lilting and plaintive piano lines – summoning up bewitching, albeit somewhat uneventful, moodscapes with serenity and restraint.  The seven cuts from The Proposition, although swimming in the same tributary, are more varied and engaging; with “Road To Banyon” bringing in some murky skeletal folk-blues, the deeply creepy “The Rider No. 2” adding disembodied Cave vocals, and the balminess of “The Rider Song” drawing the twosome towards surprisingly genteel barroom balladry.  The all-instrumental pieces previewed from The Road are certainly less distinctive in comparison, with Ellis’s violin and Cave’s piano undemonstratively oscillating between the dominant lead role, but it’s pleasant enough stuff that’s bound to sound a lot better next to the final celluloid companion.

Disc two scoops-up more miscellaneous and obscure works; cut for a film about neurosurgery being pioneered in post-Soviet Ukraine (The English Surgeon), a no doubt grim documentary about sex workers in Cambodia (The Girls of Phnom Penh), and four unused pieces from the duo’s word-free archives.  Mixed-up chronologically, this second gathering feels more like an attempt to create a standalone album from like-minded sources.  The results are less cinema-centric and certainly rawer.  Touching on eerie looped discordance (“Zanstra” and “Kerrison’s Punch”), neo-classical percussion-led minimalism (“Micro Sucker”), No Pussyfooting-era Fripp and Eno dronescapes (“Window”), Dirty Three-style pathos (“Dandy Brain”) and spooky wordless incantations (“Magma”).

Overall, this double-sized filmic selection pulls Warren Ellis and Nick Cave further and further away from their usual comfort zones, which is both brave and intimidating.  It may not be an automatic purchase for followers of the two protagonists’ ‘day-jobs’ but certainly it’s one worth having on hand to spin when there’s a desolate landscape to traverse and soak-in.

Mute Records

These Hands Could Separate the Sky – Save Yourself

Lots of bands have taken on the mantle of the “big sound.” You know, the music whose leader board consists of Explosions in the Sky and Godspeed, maybe Isis and Pelican. It’s usually done as instrumental but will have occasional vocal intrusions. It’s full of quiet, subtle passages followed by loud guitar rock. Some do it better than others. It’s increasingly hard to do it in a way that sounds original.

From Melbourne, These Hands Could Separate the Sky might be Australia’s leading light for this kind of music. It’s somewhat predictable, but well done. Its moments of intensity almost reach those of Mono, while its melodic passages do OK for themselves as well. The production, especially of the drums, has that older Chicago sound (Shellac/Albini) so somebody’s been doing some homework. “Break The Horizon,” which has the most shout-singing, sounds like Braid. Probably not the first time emo has run up against soaring power-noise, but it’s new to me. The song’s 3/4 time signature also distinguishes it from the pack. It’s got some swing to its power.

“She Turned to the Wind and Then She Was Gone” is a 2-minute atmospheric bit that breaks things up. “Patient Is The Sea” begins with languid drums and pleasantly echoing guitar. This one allows you to focus on the clarity of the production and engineering. You somehow know what’s coming though, and halfway through it gets louder for a few short stabs. By the end, this instrumental goes into shoegaze-like heaviness for another stretch before landing softly. “Save Yourself” gets quite heavy — and there’s some melody peeking out from the goes-to-11 volume. It’s 15 minutes of bliss for fans of the loud atmospheric stuff, especially in its ending few minutes. I don’t imagine these guys displacing the heroes of the genre but I can imagine them earning respect nonetheless.

Miriodor – Avanti!

When discussing a band that’s made music for well over thirty years, a certain caution is directed. Musically, Miriodor have followed the path of never straying from their bread and butter: a culmination of the avant-progressive and rock/jazz fusion. Surrounding themselves around ideas that encompass their artistic vision, there is little denying the fact that this is sophisticatedly strange music.

A task that’s simply stated, the Canadian quartet’s stylings have grown abundantly wealthy throughout their many years as a band. One passing look at the back cover of Avanti! reveals lengths that range between six to ten-plus minute pieces and atypical choice that it is, it permits the band to further delve into their craft; sounds like a great idea after 30 years of successful music. Miriodor’s ever-changing music has firmly revolved around one focus: weirdly accessible, yet increasingly quirky arrangements. And they’ve taken to the idea of recording a deep and weighty album—one that is filled with music that pushes all previous boundaries to the max.

The first aspect of the music that stands out is not so much the length of the tracks but the flow and seamless work the compositions possess. Even the album’s longest song, “À Déterminer” [to Be Determined,] grooves and shakes through a relentless sense of pace. Through all of its shift-shaping organics and peculiar flashes, the constant lies in the piano and its melody. Switching off from percussion ensemble, to spectral synths, back to a variation of the piano line, it ultimately conjures up an ending riddled with funk.

With that said, there’s a lot going on and it can make for some confusing ears but the craftsmen’s uncanny ability to fill each moment with vivid play and torrid energy is a key factor in it all. The sheer bubble and boil of “Envoûtement” [Bewitchment] makes for an obvious opening: make it shake, make it rattle, make it roar. And though the overwhelming feeling is one of trickery and spookiness, it doesn’t hurt that the drums’ beat machine takes over in the middle of the song. This lends itself willingly to the following song, “Bolide Débile” [Dare Devil,] a song that glistens with fantastic guest musicians. The sax and trumpet combination of Pierre Labbé and Maxime St.-Pierre, respectively, make the latter an uproar of fun. Sometimes delivering equally on harmonies; occasionally splitting the chords and taking turns on separate solos, the jazzier, funkier versions shine on many levels.

The title track is definitely a work in progress. Interestingly hashed out, through motions of twinkling keyboards, altering tempo changes and styles that can’t seem to agree on one take, the drive is all that’s needed for this band. Swirling around brooding chord changes, the guitar’s saving grace dissects the percussion with a glistening lick. While it calls for an analytical dissertation, Miriodor would never take themselves this seriously. Instead, this a massively built composition that reaps the benefits of the band’s talented musicians.

It’s not as if Miridor make qualms about what they’re trying to convey either, everything is fortified with an air of bold confidence. All this time, they’ve patiently waited to be discovered and while patiently and quietly putting together a massive catalog of music, Avanti! may in fact be their crowing achievement.

“Envoûtement” [Bewitchment] by Miriodor

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Cuneiform Records

Pre-Release of debut album by Elisa Luu

Hidden Shoal Recordings announced the digital pre-release of the debut album by Rome-based composer Elisa Luu.

Though digitally crafted, Chromatic Sigh is warm, inviting and uniquely human, betraying a vulnerability and sensitivity that is rarely found in the male-dominated sphere of electronica. With its sighing, lilting qualities, Elisa Luu’s music reawakens a sense of childlike wonder and adventure with every sprawling and sparkling track. The album deftly moves in and out of the realms of ambient and electronica, creating a blissful, liminal realm where everything is rendered transformative.

Chromatic Sigh is now available in digital format from the Hidden Shoal Store and all good third-party digital music stores (iTunes, eMusic, Amazon, LaLa, etc). As with all new Hidden Shoal releases the album will also be available in lossless formats (FLAC and Apple Lossless). Chromatic Sigh will see its official CD release on the 29th of September and is available now for pre-order through n5Mailorder. Check the Hidden Shoal Store for all availability info.

Label Site: http://music.hiddenshoal.com

Label Store: http://agora.hiddenshoal.com

Porcupine Tree – The Incident

Over the last twenty years, Porcupine Tree has proven to be quite the unique and eclectic band. They can do anything from catchy pop to prog jams to ominous metal. In a world where artists are either high skilled musicians or simple but great songwriters, Porcupine Tree excel at both, creating some extremely complex music as well as some of the greatest songwriting I’ve ever heard. With their new record, The Incident, they’ve become more ambitious than ever by constructing an hour long piece, broken into fourteen parts (with a bonus disc of four more tracks). It’s an incredible ride of lush production, music that is both fierce and lull, and more affective melodies. But, it is also nothing really new for the band, continuing a sound they’ve perfected over the last decade. Hell, I would even call it Deadwing Pt. 2, but that’s perfectly fine for diehard fans like me.

The band was born as a mockery by singer/songwriter/guitarist/pianist/genius Steven Wilson in 1987. He recorded solo but released/promoted it as “Porcupine Tree.” With 1995’s Signify, he finally found his permanent band members (with the exception of having a new drummer since 2002’s In Absentia). Currently joining him to flesh out his ideas are Richard Barbieri (keyboards), Colin Edwin (bass) and Gavin Harrison (drums). Since In Absentia, Wilson has gradually become more interested in exploring a heavier, metal side for his band, perhaps due to his involvement and friendship with Opeth (he produced and collaborated on three albums). This is no more evident than on The Incident, which features some extremely heavy parts while never venturing into pure noise. On the contrary, and as usual, the album also features some wonderfully soft moments. It’s an epic masterwork of segueing music sure to astound.

The brief opener, “Occam’s Razor,” consists of a periodic loud riff and crashing symbol interspersed with acoustic guitar chords. It’s a short, instrumental prologue with ghostly tape loops which lead directly into “The Blind House.” This track follows their template of heavy riffing in between a light verse melody and declarative chorus. And it’s an awesome way to start the album (would you expect anything less?). It grabs you instantly with its dynamics, slowing down in the middle before jolting back to assault you again. The acoustic guitar based “Great Expectations,” (a ninety second odyssey) recalls their poppy side, and the heartbreaking piano segue into “Kneel and Disconnect” (another brief section) is beautiful, as is the track itself. It’s a remorseful melody with haunting harmonies as only Wilson can produce and perform. However, these last couple tracks are only a build up to “Drawing The Line,” which enteres the piece with a eerie piano arpeggio that will stay with you forever. Wilson uses his falsetto for the verse, which is quite arresting. Unfortunately, the chorus undermines the sensitivity by being a bit too angry and straightforward. It’s still a great moment of “The Incident” (the piece that is), but one feels that the track should’ve culminated in a sadder fashion given how crushing it began.

The title track takes over from “Drawing The Line” like an monster silencing a baby. From the devilish repeating voice that blankets Wilson’s many odd overdubbed vocals while the band creates catastrophe, “The Incident” is certainly one of the band’s most evil tracks. Think of it as “The Creator Had A Mastertape” on steroids. If you’ve never heard the band, don’t get the impression that it’s death metal though, as there is no growling and eventually there are great high pitched harmonies. Suddenly we have another brilliant segue of acoustic guitar with “Your Unpleasant Family.” Like “Great Expectations,” its psychedelic energy and optimistic tone would’ve fit on Lightbulb Sun. Crashing cymbals open the door for “The Yellow Windows Of The Evening Train,” one of the most moving pieces Porcupine Tree has ever done (and it’s almost all prerecorded).

I suppose this track serves as an intermission. The scratching of a record encompasses light woodwinds and piano as female vocal loops repeat a few choice notes. It’s a track that’s impossible to accurately describe, but take my word that it will completely distract you with its beauty. “Time Flies” breaks the hypnosis with more acoustic guitar, and at over ten minutes long, it’s clearly the centerpiece of the album. It’s common knowledge by now to all interested parties that this track pays homage to Pink Floyd’s 1977 classic Animals, and it’s easy to hear. From the strumming patterns off the verse to the ominous spacey bass of the middle jam to the high pitched guitar of the finale, Pink Floyd are definitely present. So, you may ask, why is this not out and out plagiarism? Because Wilson is simply too damn creative and clever as he masks these obvious trademarks behind totally original melodies and production (all of which are fantastic). Nothing is taken verbatim and it’s more of an overall aesthetic presence than any deliberate copying. He borrows these aspects with such subtlety and intertwines them with his own freshness so even if you can tell what was taken from Animals, it only makes you smile with admiration at how well it was pulled off. This is one of the catchiest parts of “The Incident” (again, the piece).

A reprise of “Occam’s Razor” comes with “Degree Zero of Liberty,” only this time the chords between the riffs are different, and actually remind us of “Mellotron Scratch” from Deadwing. I for one love conceptual continuity and think this brief reprise really makes it feel like one self contained masterpiece, recalling what came before while suggesting with the new chords that it’s not over yet. As it fades out, “Octane Twisted” begins. The haunting guitar arpeggio and overlapping falsetto vocals (similar to the end of “Mellotron Scratch”) are like hearing the desperate cries of a ghost. The band next ventures into a heavier jam, complete with more peculiar sound effects complements of Barbieri. This long prog rock out slows things down near the end to showcase Gavin Harrison’s unmatchable skill of syncopation. It immediately reprises the same beginning arpeggio for “The Séance,” and after a new, superb verse melody, we go a reprise of the overdubs from “Octane Twisted.” This is simply genius. As it nears the end, the acoustic guitar begins rocking out, and we know that its segue into “Circle of Manias” will kick ass. And indeed it does. If “The Incident” is at all about death intruding on the living, this final instrumental is it happening. Over more heaviness, Barbieri allows ghosts to swarm, and it’s another fantastic collaboration between the rhythm section.

Wilson, above all else, is an incredible songwriter, and the final chapter, “I Drive The Hearse,” showcases this. This is the latest entry into Porcupine Tree’s list of astoundingly great songs that any musician (like me) wishes they could’ve written. While not quite on the same level as classics like “Collapse The Light Into Earth” or “Heartattack In A Layby,” (two of the greatest, most emotionally draining and beautifully produced songs ever written), it’s close. It has a simple verse melody with gut wrenching guitar accompaniment, a more direct but very catchy bridge and final, single lined chorus of “When I’m down I drive the hearse,” complete with more affective harmonies. Wilson is incredibly skilled at combining simple melodies with poignant, specific lyrics to bring listeners to tears, and if there is any single moment on The Incident to hear, it’s how the guitar works with the line “Given time I’ll fix the roof.” Yes, that single line is worthy of a few sentences because, like all of the lyrics for “Heartattack” and many other songs, it illustrates an extremely personal and clear thing the speaker will miss. Rather than token love lyrics, Wilson always shows us how the most mundane, everyday things like fixing a roof or “Lighting up a smoke. I’ve got this feeling inside me. Don’t feel too good…I could do with some fresh air. Can’t breathe too well” are at the heart of losing someone. Like so many songs he’s written, this one can be repeated endlessly without wearing out its welcome.

Moving on to disc two, we have four songs. “Flicker” is a slow, trippy song with nice harmonies and vocal effects, and it recalls Signify with its atmosphere. “Bonnie The Cat” is another heavy song with Wilson doing his intimidating whispering trick. It stands out at having odd rhythms and some of the best drumming in recent memory; Gavin Harrison is the master of syncopation. The ending jamming first recalls Riverside’s “Reality Dream” instrumentals before almost borrowing directly a riff from Opeth’s “The Grand Conjuration.” “Black Dahlia” uses a weird echo on the vocals. It’s another slow ballad (which isn’t inherently bad, mind you) and it’s a pleasant listen. It’s not one of Wilson’s best ballads, but it’s still a hell of a lot better than contemporaries. The best track on this second disc is the closer, “Remember Me Lover.” It stealthily builds from a sparse guitar notes to a full fledged production. The bridge is captivating and the chorus, like a lot of their choruses, has great harmonies. There is a lot of momentum here and it would’ve fit perfectly on In Absentia. Overall the second disc has some great moments, but obviously it’s the hour long first disc that truly warrants listens.

If there is anything to find fault with on The Incident, it’s the familiarity. For so long, the band progressed musically, and it seems like they’ve stopped a bit. Going in consecutive order, Signify, Stupid Dream, Lightbulb Sun, and In Absentia all sound quite different, and the material predating Signify was way different. But since Deadwing, Porcupine Tree has been exploring this metal side, and honestly, it’s beginning to get formulaic and redundant. While The Incident is still an amazing accomplishment and is full of fantastic material in every aspect (musically, lyrically, melodically, vocally), it also sounds like it’s been done already.

When the Decemberists released the album long suite The Hazards Of Love, it seemed to be the clear winner for best album long suite of the year (I mean, who many bands do this type of thing anymore?). But now with The Incident, we have a clear contender. Where it stands in the catalogue of Porcupine Tree is entirely up to opinion (In Absentia will always be their true masterpiece though) but rest assured that it is just as magnificent as fans expect. If you’ve never heard Porcupine Tree, I would start with some earlier works dating from 1999 onward to hear the progression, and if there’s only one album to hear, I’ve just mentioned it. Regardless of how it compares to their other albums or how familiar it sounds, The Incident is a work of art standing high above the commercial garbage on the radio and VMA awards. As I’ve said before, go out and discover some of the good music being made today; music with ambition, with ideas, with musicianship, with songwriting ability. The Incident is an incident in music that must be acknowledged.

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