STEVEN WILSON TO THE BONE Caroline International. Art Pop, Alternative Rock, Progressive Rock. Listening Format: Digital. When it comes to modern Progressive Rock, nobody feels like more of a flag-bearer of the genre than Steven Wilson. Sure the "dinosaurs" of the 70s still hold all the acclaim. Whilst Prog has certainly influenced many artists that came after it, and latched onto other subgenres of music, there aren't as many artists in the music limelight who quite openly embrace the somewhat untrendy term. Steven Wilson is one of the brightest stars. He fully embraces all that is Prog. Wilson has even been integral in remastering classic 70s Prog albums by the likes of Hawkwind and Jethro Tull, fully immersing himself into the history of the genre. The Londoner has been making music since the late 80s in various different forms, but his most famous act is Porcupine Tree. Whilst many of the genre leaders like Yes, Genesis and ELP spent their 80s derailing into Pop music and somewhat leaving behind Prog altogether, by the end of the decade Progressive Rock started to see a resurgence with artists inspired by the likes of 'Close to the Edge', 'In the Court of the Crimson King' and 'Dark Side of the Moon' starting to surface. The likes of Dream Theater, Spock's Beard and of course Porcupine Tree. With Steven Wilson as their main songwriter and frontman, Porcupine Tree were truly a progressive band. They explored multiple styles and subgenres, never making the same album twice, always expanding their sound and making complex, thought provoking music. The band seem to be on indefinite hiatus now, but Steven Wilson has basically carried on a similar sound and ethos into his solo ventures. Wilson's first three solo albums were as Prog as it comes. In particular 'The Raven That Refused to Sing (And Other Stories)' was full of mind-boggling complex instrumentation, different movements, long instrumental jamming and soloing, varying themes and time signature changes, analogue production and mastering. It genuinely felt like it was a lost gem from the 70s heyday of Prog. The album that followed, 'Hand. Cannot. Erase' in comparison sacrificed a lot of those things in order to make a much more cohesive and accessible album in terms of songwriting, combining catchy hooks and soaring melodies, with complex playing and Wilson's fetish for the mellotron! This album also sounded much more personal lyrically and much more modern. Sure there were touches of nostalgia, but it very much sounded like what a modern Prog album should. Not all of the Prog-heads got on board with it, but I personally found it to be his best solo album yet (amongst a mighty fine discography). In a way Wilson's fifth full length album 'To the Bone' takes this direction even further. 'To the Bone' is Steven Wilson's most accessible, catchy, hook-laden and Pop oriented album in his solo discography. There isn't even a song that breaches the 10 minute mark! Has he gone mad???
'To the Bone' sucked me right in from the start, opening with one of the strongest tracks (rightly so since it is the title track of the album). After a Morricone inspired Spaghetti Western style intro, bursts a very upbeat and stripped back sound. Production-wise it instantly feels so bright and colourful, with a slight Funk influence kicking in the chorus, complete with soulful female backing vocals. The second half of the song beautifully opens into a dreamy and uplifting ending, punctuated by floaty synth and mellotron that overwhelms the guitar. Wilson's voice cuts through magically. 'Pariah' is a huge standout on the album which sees Wilson's duet partner Ninet Tayeb return. She stirred up such a massive presence on Wilson's previous album 'Hand. Cannot. Erase', especially with her solo vocal on the outstanding downer ballad 'Routine'. They recapture that magic on 'Pariah' with their voices gelling so wonderfully together that it will be hard to imagine future Steven Wilson albums without her presence. Wilson has just got better and better and working in such strong, overwhelming melodies. Surprisingly the two minute long acoustic ballad 'Blank Tapes' is a wonderful little inclusion on the album. It's not often we hear a Steven Wilson track sounding so brittle and so short, so this was a lovely surprise. 'To the Bone' isn't a complete home-run though. 'Detonation' is the clearest attempt to do something more typically "Proggy" but falls a little short with off tangent guitar soloing and changes in direction that don't quite flow. It begins with an intriguing Electronic beat intro, and ends with funky Talking Heads inspired Funk Rock. In an album filled with more linear tunes, it's weird that the most "typical" Steven Wilson track sounds out of place and overbloated. Even still there are still interesting ideas in this track even if as a whole it doesn't quite come together. The single 'Permanating' is a track I keep going back on forth on. I felt like hearing it on it's own, with the video, it sort of worked, but placing it bang in the middle of the album, it feels so jarring. The record suddenly takes a massive sonic jolt, into something really loud and kind of obnoxious. ''Permanating' sounds like a Scissor Sisters song, and genuinely just as camp with pounding piano chords and Wilson's "oh yeah, I'm going full falsetto and you can't stop me!" vocals. It's fun, but I kind of feel like this would have been better as a non-album single. I just don't feel like it fits the flow of 'To the Bone'. So is 'To the Bone' a Progressive Rock record at all? Yes actually. Steven Wilson continues to prove that he is a progressive artist, and even with a discography as vast as his (if you count all his other projects), it is incredible that the man still has so many fresh ideas inside him, good ones too! Don't get me wrong, 'To the Bone' is not for the King Crimson fan, or for those that enjoy listening to Rick Wakeman make mad, violent love to his keyboards, clad in full wizard attire. Wilson has already done plenty of that kind stuff in the past. With 'To the Bone' he has taken risks and proved that he can make compelling Pop and radio friendly music, which still honours the sound, style, production, writing and ultimately the ethos of Progressive Rock. In many ways, 'To the Bone' makes me think of Arcade Fires' latest album 'Everything Now'. Arcade Fire were once a band known for thinking outside of the box, making challenging and thought provoking music. But with 'Everything Now' they decided to make a catchier, Poppier record and it just fell flat on it's face. Steven Wilson has shown us the right way to make more accessible, easy on the ear music, and yet not sacrifice artistic integrity. 'To the Bone' very much has a less is more approach, but it actually channels two of Porcupine Tree's lighter more accessible and Pop-oriented albums 'Lightbulb Sun' and 'Stupid Dream'. What the album lacks in pomposity and pretension, it more than makes up for in strong melodies, hard hitting choruses and well written songs. If anyone else made this album it would be seen as one of the most ambitious and versatile of the year, yet because STEVEN WILSON, has made this album, somehow it might come across as less ambitious and striking compared to his past discography highs. I personally feel like the tipping scale has worked in Wilson's favour. The lack of pure Prog trademarks is more than suitably made up for with the emphasis on huge melodies and strong writing. And in terms of sound and production, this is still a near immaculate effort. Wilson still manages to inject so many amazing textures, soundscapes and atmospheres, playing with a more than suitable team of collaborators. The man very much knows what he is doing and has invited his listeners into yet another unique and distinctive world full of wonders. It isn't as dark as previous outings, and perhaps it doesn't quite hit as hard as his last two records, but it very much stands on it's own merits. Like the album sleeve and title suggest, this is Steven Wilson stripped to the bone. 8/10.
BRAND NEW SCIENCE FICTION Procrastinate! Music Traitors (Self-Released) Emo, Alternative Rock, Post-Hardcore. Listening Format: Digital BRAND NEW Brand New, BRAND NEW Brand New, BRAND NEW BRAND NEW!!!!! DROPPED RIGHT OUT OF THE BLUE!!! NOW IT'S TIME FOR A REVIEW... When you think of the word Emo, it conjurers a lot of images, some of them are perhaps even derogatory or completely misguided. I remember as a teenager hearing At the Drive In, REM, Bright Eyes, Elliott Smith AND My Chemical Romance get described as "Emo"... But if there is one thing I know for sure, when referring to Emo as a music subgenre, Brand New are one of the first bands that should come to mind. This seminal New York formed band really are one of the most important Alternative Rock acts of the noughties. Their first album was released in 2001, and their previous release 'Daisy' bookended the decade in 2009. After that there were a few tours, and a few re-issues and archival releases, but just a week ago, Brand New's fifth album 'Science Fiction' dropped out of the blue, self-released by the band digitally, with physical releases due to follow. Their first album in 8 years! So what can we expect from a BRAND NEW Brand New album in 2017? Recently their fellow peers American Football returned with a new album after a 17 year hiatus, and it was met with a very lukewarm reception from fans and critics. I personally thought it was great, but surprisingly the prospect of a more mature and grown up American Football fell on deaf ears. The Emo kids have now become Emo adults with families and houses... The natural expectation for Brand New's return would put them in a similar scenario. These guys aren't kids any more. They are all grown up and have very much matured, and this is the direction their music will move in too, right?! Their last album 'Daisy' injected more Post-Hardcore elements than ever, and was a rather visceral record, but Brand New have always shown a maturity in their writing too, with some exceptional Folk influenced ballads to their name. "Me Vs. Maradona Vs. Elvis' am'right!? Naturally 'Science Fiction' is by far their most mature and downbeat album to date. Long gone are the silly overlong song titles. Lyrically this is a very introspective record. Musically there are a lot of moments that verge on Indie Folk, with the Post-Hardcore side of the band taking much more of a backseat. 'Science Fiction' opens with a really ominous, crackling spoken word sample, as if you'd accidentally put on an old Godspeed You! Black Emperor record! It's actually a fantastic way to set the tone, as 'Lit Me Up' evolves into a slow-burning, spacey dirge filled with atmospheric reverb guitar. 'Could Never Be Heaven' is a straight up Folk ballad something (early) Sun Kil Moon might have written. Stand out 'In the Water' combines those acoustic guitar driven verses with loud, explosive guitar choruses, but has this late 70s "Ditch Trilogy" Neil Young kind of swampy feel going on. 'Science Fiction' is very much a laid back, restrained and reflective record, but the whole band still sound incredibly emotive and impassioned. As always, Jesse Lacey's vocals are show stealing, emoting so much raw feeling, and increasing versatility. Though the overall tone of 'Science Fiction' is downbeat, sorrowful, dark and languid, there are still some bright, colourful and energetic moments on the record. 'Can't Get It Out' is a massive uplifting and anthemic song. It almost has that whiff of being a festival flag waver sing along, with this huge chorus punctuated with pounding drums and roaring guitar power chords. It's a simple, radio friendly gem of a song. 'Same Logic/Teeth' is brimming with ferocity, one of the few times where Lacey reaches for those yelping Hardcore influenced screams. Whilst 'Science Fiction' is a fantastically bold and consistent record, it isn't without the occasional stumbles in its hour long run time. "451" is a little too upbeat for it's own good, with this sort of Americana country ramble vibe going on. 'Desert''s falsetto harmonised vocal chorus comes across a little too over the top, but I guess every classic Emo album goes FULL EMO at some points, eh!? The album ends on a breathtaking finale, 'Batter Up'. A slow, dreamy, atmospheric Post-Rock track reminiscent of Mogwai's classic 'CODY'. This beautiful, softly sung gem reads like an epitaph and is such a sad, genuinely tear-jerking and powerful way for such a seminal band to bow out.
'Science Fiction' is strongly hinted to be Brand New's final album, with one last hurrah tour to follow, and not only is this a fantastic and logical way to go out, but it was totally worth that long wait too. Dropping it for free online was a neat little surprise for eagerly waiting fans. Brand New have delivered with a heavyweight album that has enough justified gold on it to be able to pull off that feat. It's no wonder why music fans are going absolutely crazy with joy at the release of this album. Some long time fans may lament the lack of the more fiery side of Brand New - There are is certainly no 'Sic Transit Gloria... Glory Fades' or 'Gasoline' on this record. But what we have hear perfectly reflects where this band are at in 2017, and the personalities of the band members nearing 40 years old. 'Science Fiction' is a deeply spun and involved record that reveals more and more colour and personality with each listen. Brand New have successfully created their most mature, sincere and introspective record in their discography, favouring sadness, beauty, texture and solitude over their more in your face moments of the past. It rings with just as much passion and true emotion as anything they have done prior, perhaps even more so. I personally can't wait to hold a physical copy in my hands. Brand New. 'Science Fiction'. A near perfect way to end a saga. 9/10.
CKY THE PHOENIX e-one Music. Alternative Metal, Alternative Rock. Listening Format: CD & Digital
If you are like me and you were a teenager at the start of the 2000s then you will probably have a soft spot for CKY. Back then, MTV was still worth watching, extreme sports were cooler than a good meme, and the show Jackass was must watch television. So those who enjoyed watching men eating their own puke and falling off skateboards will undoubtedly hold CKY's first two albums dearly. Even to this day, 'Volume 1' and 'Infiltrate. Destroy. Rebuild.' are brilliant staple-pieces of American early 00s Alternative Rock/Metal. I can still look back fondly with rose-tinted glasses on songs as classy as '96 Quite Bitter Beings', 'Sara's Mask', 'Disengage the Simulator', 'Flesh Into Gear' and 'Escape From Hellview', and think back to where the most stressful time in my life was cringing as the Jackass crew hurt themselves for my viewing pleasure. For some reason though, by the time CKY's 2005 album 'An Answer Can Be Found' rolled along, my music and viewing pleasures had changed drastically. This and their subsequent album (2009's 'Carver City') didn't even enter my radar. Even at the time I don't remember hearing one song from them or being aware of their existence. Just as the interest in Jackass declined by the end of the decade, so did the interest in anything resembling Nu-Metal. Things are different in 2017 though. Nostalgia is a powerful entity. It's a year where the SNES is available on shelves again, there is a new Blade Runner, Star Wars AND Alien film... Even fucking Jumanji is getting a reboot! FUCKING JUMANJI!!! So you know, might as well give the new CKY album a listen. WHY THE FUCK NOT!? It's worth noting that band founder, lead vocalist and contributing songwriter Deron Miller has left the band. Chad Ginsburg has not only stepped in to take over lead vocals but also produced the album... And OH...DEAR...LORD. I'm not even kidding, his vocal performance on this album sounds like your mate who always drinks way too much, stumbles about, slurs all his words and eventually collapses in front of the toilet. Deron Miller had a pretty versatile voice that was able to do awesome shouty vocals, as well as clean vocals that had a strong sense of melodicism. He would also use the dynamics of his voice to bring shades of dark and light to their songs. Well all that has gone out of the window. Chad Ginsburg is not cut out for the lead vocal role. His voice is incredibly one dimensional, and his deep, low pitched drawl seems to awkwardly try and tackle a higher range that just sounds like nails on a chalkboard. He flat out murders all of the songs here. His voice just seems to keep warbling uncontrollably, like he was genuinely hammered in that recording booth. But it would be unfair to single out his vocals, as the entire remnants of CKY really seem to struggle all over this record.
The best example is heard in the lead single, 'Days of Self Destruction'. It actually kicks off with a decent riff that sounds reminiscent of vintage CKY, but about 10 seconds in it is ruined by Chad's awful vocal. The song stumbles through a generic verse/chorus/verse phase and then in a spot where Deron Miller would probably have added an interesting change in gear, instead the band close off the song with A MINUTE AND A HALF of obnoxious guitar soloing. I'm not even kidding it feels like it is the first time CKY have ever attempted to play guitar solos! In the music video, Mastodon's Brent Hinds even appears to be teaching the band members how to play, which is an amusing touch. The truth is, this entire album is absolutely littered with these eyebrow raising guitar solos that serve no purpose other than to pad out a lack of song structure and ideas. 'Days of Self Destruction' ends as the title brilliantly prophesizes, with a wankfest of completely unmemorable, passionless and horribly mixed guitar dross until the song ends on an awkward fade out, like the sound engineer had said 'Nope... Not on my watch!" Seriously, this isn't a Frank Zappa album, this isn't an Yngwie Malmsteen album... What were you thinking??? 'Head For a Breakdown' is also plagued with horribly mixed and flat sounding guitar licks and solos when Ginsburg isn't barfing over the track, piercing the brain with their horribleness. Even the guitars sound like they are vomiting... Perhaps even worse is there are some Poppier numbers on this album that actually sound like they are trying to sound like Fall Out Boy... Recent Fall Out Boy (which is far worse). Opening track 'Replaceable' has this awful upbeat dance friendly stomp that just does not fit the CKY sound at all.
'The Phoenix' has 8 songs and only lasts 30 minutes, and manages to say absolutely nothing worthwhile in the process. Generic riffs, awful vocals, and some of the worst excuses for guitar solos I have ever heard. The songs lack any dynamics or strong hooks. Most of the choruses just end up repeating whatever the title is over and over. The mix is horrible, with the lead guitar lines in particular having this really piercing tone that claws at the inside of my ears, and the vocals are completely the opposite pitch to the guitars, often sounding off key, sloppy and unintelligible. There is such a consistent lack of spark or imagination across this whole album, that I don't even know why they bothered to go and record these songs in the first place. Awful attempts at Pop crossovers, half assed performances, songs only memorable for how laughably moronic they are... I feel like Deron Miller must have got the last laugh, because he successfully managed to escape from hellview before the bomb dropped! You know when you look at an album's track titles and it seems to be telling the story for you... 'Replaceable', 'Days of Self Destruction', 'Head For a Breakdown', 'Wiping Off the Dead'... Yeah... It will take something really special to prevent this from being the worst album of 2017. Maybe I'll go check out that new Linkin Park album everyone is raving about... 2/10.
