LIGHTBULB SUN

With the opening title track regaling us with an anecdote about falling ill with the flu as a child, it's no surprise that Porcupine Tree's Lightbulb Sun has a rather doped-out, feverish tone to it. With gorgeous vocal harmonies on psychedelic progressive pop gems like Shesmovedon and extended ambient space rock workouts like Russia On Ice, the album refines and develops the approach of Stupid Dream, whilst at the same time some of Steven Wilson's guitar work begins to lean in a harsh, buzzing heavy metal direction prefiguring the band's radical transformation on In Absentia. If you liked Stupid Dream, this is the second half of that sandwich.