SIGNIFY

On listening through this album once more, I found that it flows and moves much more powerfully than I usually remember. That's the way this album works. It doesn't stand up and demand attention like most other Porcupine Tree releases, but when you sit down and listen to it, you will not find yourself disappointed--leastways, I never do. This is not an album of standout tracks or singles or anything, except in the clear majesty of the closing track, Dark Matter. Rather, it sticks in my mind as one long piece, slightly segmented, interspersed with madness and musicality, but basically an hour of flowing sound and emotion. Very worth looking into, especially as a bridge between Porcupine Tree's earlier works and their later ones.

Of course, the aforementioned Dark Matter consistently blows my mind with its gentle power. Think structurally and sonically something akin to King Crimson's classic Starless, except with a guitar solo instead of a percussion lead in the latter half. The single Waiting exists here in its full form, although I find it to gather a good bit more attention and praise than it deserves. This is a much less vocal and certainly much less metal oriented release than all that followed it, so if you want Deadwing style heaviness, Signify won't do too much for you. If you want the extended psychedelia of The Sky Moves Sideways, you'll be somewhat titillated but certainly not fully satisfied. Signify is, very clearly, a transitional album, and should be listened to and reviewed as such. Great for fans of Porcupine Tree's variety of styles, good for most everybody else.