Favorite Records of 2013 - Number 5

As I have said before, Steven Wilson is the artist I admire most. He is supremely talented. He makes amazing music. He does it across a variety of projects. He has been the driving force behind Porcupine Tree, the best progressive rock band this side of Rush. He has worked with Aviv Geffen in a more pop-oriented project called Blackfield. He has also worked with more esoteric progressive projects like No Man and Bass Communion. He has done remixes for classic King Crimson and Jethro Tull albums. Sadly it looks like Porcupine Tree is finished and that Blackfield is less a priority for Mr. Wilson. But that is OK because his solo output has been amazing.

Each solo record has gotten better. The first, Insurgentes, is already great. The follow-up was Grace For Drowning and was my favorite record of 2011. I am hesitant to call his latest, The Raven That Refused To Sing, his masterpiece because his track record has shown him getting better and better and better.

This is definitely progressive rock so it is not for everyone. But the biggest knock against prog is that it's unemotional, it is detached, lacking feeling. One cannot listen to Raven and miss the feeling. It is just a gorgeous, lush album. It is not particularly guitar-driven, though Steven Wilson is one of the best guitar players around. Strings, keyboards, rhythm all work to bring the work to life. It is a beautiful listening experience. The band he has assembled is fantastic. And all the talents he has honed and skill he has is brought to bear here. His work remixing King Crimson records has rubbed off here; this is a very Crimson-sounding album.

This is the one album on my list I don't have on vinyl because I purchased the beautiful hard cover book that came with the CDs. Like any good progressive rock record there are stories at work here. Each song tells a story. The most touching of them is the final track on the record and the record's namesake. I will not spoil it for you. The video bellow is a beautiful interpretation of the song. I encourage you to watch it and enjoy it.

Fourth Time (Not) The Charm

Blackfield is a kind of supergroup, featuring Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree and three amazing solo records, and Israeli pop star Aviv Geffen. It's a fascinating collaboration: Wilson uses Blackfield as a opportunity to write shorter, more focused, almost-pop songs; Geffen uses Blackfield to explore new sonic terrain beyond what his solo career offers.

Their first three collaborations (along with a live set from New York City) are all great, especially Blackfield II. The fourth, simply titled Blackfield IV does not have the impact the others do. This could be due to Steven Wilson taking a backseat to Aviv Geffen, supporting this effort less as a collaborator and more as a guest, in addition to his normal production duties. The record also hosts a number of additional guest spots. Vincent Kavanaugh of Anathema, Brett Anderson of Suede, and Jonathan Donahue of Mercury Rev all appear to different effect.

All the songs are credited to Geffen, but the songs that are the best are those that are the real collaborations between Wilson and Geffen: album opener "Pills", "Sense Of Insanity," and "Jupiter," easily the best track on the record, all have what made the other Blackfield records so great.

Unfortunately the rest of the record is lacking. "X-Ray" featuring Kavanaugh is a pleasant piece and the music works very well with his voice, but is ultimately a trifle. Brett Anderson doing "Firefly," while having a compelling voice that works incredibly well in the glammish Suede, is almost embarrassing; his over-the-top delivery fits well with Bernard Butler or, to less effect, Richard Oakes' churning guitars. It doesn't work with the orchestration and precision of Blackfield. Donahue's "The Only Fool Is Me" feels like filler to end an album side, coming in as a two-minute lullaby.

"Springtime" and the second side has more of the Blackfield vibe. Side opener "Jupiter" is followed by the heavy-ish "Kissed By The Devil" and the poppy "Lost Souls." "Faking" has a middling chorus and verse but then soars into a brilliant bridge; too bad it couldn't have been used in a better overall song. "After The Rain" closes the album but still feels like more filler.

Overall it is a disappointment. I really love Blackfield and was seriously looking forward to this record. It isn't a bad album on it's own; perhaps it should have been marketed as an Aviv Geffen solo record. I understand Steven Wilson wanting to step back a bit from other commitments, especially considering how well his solo career is going, but Blackfield works best as a true collaboration between two unique artists.

Here's the aforementioned "Jupiter." A great song that is supported by a fantastic video.

The Raven That Refused To Sing

Steven Wilson is quickly becoming my most favorite artist around. He's best known for being the leader of prog rock outfit Porcupine Tree. For whatever reason, and despite being a prog fan, that was a band that I did not get into until just a couple years ago. He's also part of a bunch of side projects, the most interesting of which is Blackfield. Not just interesting, it's a great band.

Recently, Steven has put aside the band restrictions and focused more on his solo material. His latest record is called The Raven That Refused To Sing and other stories. As someone who has followed his career with relish the last couple years, for me it is just a jaw-dropping display of talent. In interviews with him, he despises labels or comparisons, but at the risk of arousing his ire, and to give you a point of comparison, his older material had a very Pink Floyd feel; now, the King Crimson influence is rubbing off. But...it is incredibly unique. The songs are stories, as the title implies, about old buskers or sad old timers regretting the loss of their child sister.

Here's the title cut and final track from the new record, one of the prettiest songs I have heard in a long while:

It starts almost like a theme to a horror movie but it builds into one of the loveliest melodies I have heard in forever. I especially love the outro. The swelling of guitar mixing with the piano and the vocals make the song take flight. The song and the video created with it exemplifies everything about Wilson as an artist.

The rest of the songs are just as good. "Luminol" kicks the record with a very aggressive King Crimson Red like jolt. "Drive Home" sweeps along on a piano-melody augmented by strings and tasteful electric guitars. "The Watchmaker" opens with a Jethro Tull-ish flourish of acoustic guitar segues into a piano based melody before ending on a raving cacophony of drums and guitars and keys. The shortest song is just over 5 minutes; three clock in over 10. But that is what he is after here; creating longer pieces with movements that draw the listener into the story being told. The guitar is no longer the primary instrument, but is one of many painting the entire scene.

I bought the record directly from his English label. There are various incarnations of it. I chose the CD with the 100-page hard-cover book of illustrations that inspired/were-inspired-by the music. It's a beautiful piece of art, befitting such a remarkable record. It contains an additional CD of demos, a DVD version of the album with surround sound mixes, and a Blu Ray with the surround mixes and galleries and a documentary.

If I had my druthers Steven Wilson is the artist I would emulate. Too bad for me that I don't have 1/1000 the talent and creativity he has. Good for me that I can enjoy the remarkable fruits of his labor.