HAND. CANNOT. ERASE.

Wilson in an interview, said that one of the text and to some extent the concept of music of this album is to show the life of the average middle-aged human from the early childhood to ... (?? ) (I'll write about it later) Therefore, the mood of each song and emotions on this album are very diverse, just like in our life.

In the first 30 seconds of the two-piece composition First Regret / 3 Years Older, initially you can hear a "tape effect" with the sounds of children sojourned itself outside. But at once! Something here does not match! In the background of childish voices to be heard incidental torrential rain.
It is possible therefore to conclude that these childish sounds is a recollection of care-free childhood of the female hero of this album. She's standing in the rainy morning at the bus stop on a way to work, probably somewhere in northern London (quote "You stand there with the other fuckers in the rain.").

After the short nostalgic entry, picturing the early childhood (First Regret), towards the end of second minute music suddenly is revived. Excellent guitar riffs in the style of group Rush slows down suddenly in vocal sequence, which begins the second part of composition.
3 Years Older - The story is about too quickly ended carefree school days with first emotional relationships and the sudden contact with the hard realities of everyday life. While waiting for arrival of the double-decker bus, she thinks of her first committed errors for which she'll have to pay, and which she now regrets.
Beautiful text ends by the change of rhythm, and already to the end of this composition we'll hear a sharp prog-rock riffs, intertwined keyboard improvisations and guitars in the climate of groups Rush and U.K (lack only for Jobson's violin), with the splendid Nick Beggs bass part. Can you believe that once upon a time - during the time of my youth - he was a bass player for stricte pop music group Kajagoogoo? :) As for me, a great start to the album!

The next composition, but rather song, Hand Cannot Erase, with music structure reminds me "Beautiful Day" by U2. It's a joyful diving-board from the climates from a first composition. But as in the true life - nostalgia and melancholy will be able suddenly to be exchanged in joy and the first antiquated love. Great song.

Large sensation exerted on me during the succeeding composition Perfect Life. In hidden loomed manner is here solitude of human in the heart of a large city. In order to entirely to understand its beauty (and cause why the Wilson's text is recitated with music by woman) it is necessary to know that music on the all album "Hand.Cannot.Erase." sacrificed memory of 40-years young Joyce Carol Vincent. The female protagonist of the majorities of the texts of this album is modelled on this exactly figure. Towards the end of December of 2003, Joyce Vincent died in solitude in the social dwelling in the north part of London. Her remains in a state of complete decomposition was found after three years. Television in the room was switched on all the time, because all charges for electricity and rent were automatically deducted from their bank account. The neighbors were convinced that the bad smell comes from the neighboring waste.
Perfect Life, in my opinion, deliberately breaks off quite unexpectedly, just as suddenly for no reason had stopped the "perfect" Joyce Vincent's lonely life.

Routine - these are the typical prog-rock nostalgic song (a la early Genesis) with a beautiful part of piano, and with the motive text about monotony of daily life. She constantly performing the same actions that helps her to live with personal tragedy from the past and to "kill" the passage of time. After the sixth minute, followed by a brief revival of the guitar part and at the end of a quiet ending. I like it a lot.

The two-piece composition Home Invasion / Regret 9 begins energetic prog-rock broken rhythm, where the leading role is played drums. Although nothing can not be blamed on the album drummer Marco Minnemann, but personally I miss here a lot Gavin Harrison's drumming style, which in my opinion (and not only my) is currently the best prog-rock drummer in the world. Gavin certainly will prove that at the most recent upcoming King Crimson studio album. I.CANNOT.WAIT. ;)
After three sharp minutes of energetic prog-rock, music's followed by a slowdown and Wilson's vocal part begins. The text tells the story of human's voluntary isolation from the outside world, to which he lost his confidence. Time is spent to replace the real world, ubiquitous network website, where you can find and download virtually everything - sex, dream house, a wife, God, ocean, sky, war, love and hate.
At the end of vocal part, Home Invasion pass in Regret 9, with the most beautiful instumental synthesizer-guitar part, ended by exemption and renewed "tape effect", with the sounds sojourned itself the children. Again here to be heard the hankering of our female heroine for care-free childhood, without the television, the internet and without computer games. Splendid composition!

A three-minute Transience is a short piece with difficult to the decipherment text. IMO it is about the fast lapse of life and unredeemed dreams from childhood. Nice moody piece, with a powerful bass and synthesizer riff - that is exactly like the one with the title composition Pink Floyd album "Obscured by Clouds", hmm .. by the way has the same 3- minute length. Too bad it's so short, but as in the text .. our live is also short and unfulfilled.

In the long (13-minute) Ancestral, she's suffering from loneliness, living in a closed society of the great industrial city, settles with its past. She cannot accept the fact, that all good moments that lived long ago passed away forever. This very digging out, depressing text is excellently coordinated with dark, gloomy and depressing music.
With regard to music - happens here very a great deal. The frequent changes of rate, the powerful riffs and excellent rhythm section - causes that this composition is "paradise" for prog-rock and prog-metal fans. Excellent track!!

The album closes two-part composition Happy Returns / Ascendant Here On... It shows our heroine in a similar place where she was at the beginning of the album - at the bus stop. It's late afternoon and she's on a way home. Heavy rain develops into the thunderstorm. In such a scenario she performs a telephone conversation with a long unseen brother. He called her to "see if she was still alive". In a conversation with him she says that would be a lie to say that everything is going okay, cause she has financial problems as to make ends meet, but she would like to give gifts to her nephews who are aged childhood. "..But I'm feeling kind of drowsy now, so I'll finish this (talk) tomorrow.." - she ends the conversation.
The most beautiful melodic line of this composition, motive monumental guitar solo just after last vocal part, proceeds smoothly into two-minute short Ascendant Here On.... The drops quieting down rain on the background of sounds sojourned itself children - that's the end of this excellent "a jaw dropping" concept album.

This ending gives the impression that the whole story is written on the board - however, can result in optimistic, but it depends entirely on our imagination.

4,55 stars, or 9 of 10.

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