TO THE BONE

...and here's the next stage of personal evolution of Steven Wilson as a solo artist. From a boldly experimenting musician of widest creative range and full creative freedom - to a prudent, almost pre-programmed artist who knows very well what his audience expects from him, and does nothing but what's expected. Stage one, 2008: Insurgentes. Sounds somewhat bashful, as if the musician hadn't yet used to consider himself a solo artist and was constantly glancing behind his practice in Porcupine Tree. Stage two, 2011: Grace For Drowning. A masterpiece for all times, a true chef d'oeuvre, really an encyclopedic concept album of highest level and amazing diversity, maybe better than any Porcupine Tree release. Stage three, 2013: The Raven... is just an excellent album, not as profound and thrilling as Grace For Drowning, but an unquestionable achievement. Stage four, 2015: Hand. Cannot. Erase seems to be mostly pre-composed by Wilson's fans though has a few interesting and 'risky' moments (Perfect Life for example). Stage four-and-a-half, 2016: nice, nice, very nice. And nothing essential, nothing deserving a discussion. And finally, 2017: since To The Bone, no more risk that some day the artist will deceive his audience's expectations. Nothing is new, nothing is surprising, nothing is experimental and/or explorative, everything is self- repetitive and approbated in the previous releases (despite all attractive phrases about 'fusing futurist rock' and 'gloriously dynamic Modernist Pop' in the distributor's advert). Well, in brief - there's no genuine Steven Wilson in Steven Wilson's new work. Is the album To The Bone good? Yes it is. It's flawless. It's perfectly composed, built, arranged, performed, produced, engineered and recorded. Is the album bad? Yes it is! It's musically empty. It's withering. The only spring of fresh water in this harmonious desert is Permanating, not due to its musical merits but just because late 1970s disco tunes are not typical for Wilson. All the rest is... no, not silence of course, but if the current tendency in Wilson's career will continue, perhaps silence would be better.