VERSIONS OF THE TRUTH

British alternative rockers The Pineapple Thief released their thirteenth studio album in September of 2020, some two years after the nearly-perfect 'Dissolution', an album that certainly cemented them as one of the most interesting progressive bands of the 2010s. 'Versions of the Truth' happens to be the third album with iconic drummer Gavin Harrison, now a full-time member the of PT, an addition that certainly elevated their musical presentation, and it should come as no surprise that Bruce Soord and Harrison share the writing credits for this release. But how does this album stand up to the rest of the band's catalogue?

As it happens quite often with bands that are either entirely or borderline in the progressive rock scene, album #13 turns out to be a disappointment (some examples would be Dream Theater, The Flower Kings, Spock's Beard, Yes, PFM, and so on). Unfortunately, The Pineapple Thief also fall into this trap, with 'Versions of the Truth' sounding more like a collection of songs that have been left off a Bruce Soord solo session. The entire record is really carried by the first four songs (which also happen to be the singles); Opener 'Versions of the Truth' is an intriguing piece that builds-up slowly just to reveal some masterful melodies, topped by the gorgeous drum sound and the introspective lyrics, 'Break It All' might be the best moment on the album, an excellent example of what this band is best at - haunting songs that are cautiously produced and never overplayed, very minimalistic but memorable. 'Demons' is another highlight, on which Soord delivers effortlessly a crisp and emotive vocal performance; the instrumentation is once again severely beautiful. Then comes 'Driving Like Maniacs', a softer entry than the more alt-rock-driven trio coming before it, is a decent song that reminisces some late 90s Porcupine Tree.

The rest of the album is quite polarizing, with some songs being completely directionless and downright forgettable and boring ('Leave Me Be', 'Out of Line', 'The Game'), to some better offerings that could still hardly stand up to the band's best; Songs like 'Our Mire' and 'Stop Making Sense' feel comfortable but not too impressive, with the length of the former (seven and a half minutes) being hardly justifiable, for example.

Overall, 'Versions of the Truth' is an enjoyable, and even somewhat uplifting, listen for the most part despite the fact this time the band focuses more on slower songs without much build-up and with more introverted soundscapes. The big let-down of this thirteenth offering from the excellent Pineapple Thief, however, is that the album loses focus as it progresses, with some songs beginning to sound dull and monotonous. Comparing it with the band's previous two releases (that also featured Gavin Harrison on drums), it has to be said that 'Versions' is entirely eclipsed by both.