THE RAVEN THAT REFUSED TO SING (AND OTHER STORIES)

A collection of some of the most beautiful songs you will hear in life! I don't know why I didn't see the beauty in this album the first time! Probably because its so different from Grace before drowning, which is the kind of album you expect the first time you hear it. Instead of the instant beauty of Grace? you get this typical neo prog-ish opening, pretty dirty and hard-rocking with a complex, techy rhythm. The kind of opening of an album that makes you go "Aha, so thats what its going be about. Boooooring", because you heard it so many times already in modern prog. But those who know Steven Wilson well also know that he would not do anything even near that boring neo-prog, and this is not an exception! Soon enough the opening song magically turns in to the Wilson-songwriting we all know and love so much, painfully beautiful and sad enough to make the sun cry. If you liked his other work, both solo and Porcupine Tree, you will be very very satisfied with this album!

I will admit it, the first time I heard this album it thought of it as a collection of standard Wilson- songs, sad sounding guitars, metallic but slow drumming and melodies that would fit perfectly at your funeral. Depressing, beautiful, I heard it before. But after some listenings you start to get the hang of the songs here, you start to sing the melodies and understand the strength in them, how insanely emotional they are. You also find that compared to Grace before drowning, all the songs on this album has a life on their own. They feel more memorable and its easier to get a relation with the album.

I will not go into specific songs here, it would just sound pretentious, overblown and boring. Like describing the girl of your dreams: beautiful, mysterious, impulsive, blah blah blah. But I HAVE to mention the title track which is, honestly, one of the most beautiful songs I ever heard, it always moves me to tears. It starts with a mournful and almost silent piano and Wilsons sad but beautiful voice. Just like a great movie it slowly builds up to an epic and deeply emotional explosion with mellotron and Wilson almost shouting out the pensive melody! Its a modern classic! And don't forget to watch to music video for this one, its art when at its best!

When I think about it, its often the albums I hate in the beginning (Porcupine Tree´s "Fear of a blank planet", Van der graaf generator´s "Pawn hearts", King Crimson´s "Red" to mention some of them) that becomes my favorites. Just like a great relationship cannot always be great, it has to have weak periods when everything is tough as well, maybe the favorite album has to be bad and completely inconceivable before you can see the real beauty in it! I think me and The raven that refused to sing have a great future together!