THE HARMONY CODEX

In listening to this album, I respected Steven's method of listening in the dark with good quality headphones.

I was excited to go on a journey with Steven's new album. I'd heard the singles and was intrigued to see what general direction his music would be taking now.

I've only listened to the record once. First impressions are that the production is superb. I guess you would expect that from Steven who has been producing remixes of classic prog albums for a few years now. He's clearly got a great ear (or two!).

Now for the music...the soundscape is cold, glacial, largely electronic (apart from vocals) and generally uninvolving, at least for me. I couldn't feel any emotional connection with this music. It's certainly cinematic in scope, but like many movie soundtracks, suitable mainly as background music. I found a lot of the tracks were long and very similar, and the melodies were not very memorable. Nothing really stands out apart from the more traditional songs. The most striking tracks - Economies of Scale, What Life Brings and Impossible Tightrope - were released as singles before the album release. The other tracks consist mainly of electronic arpeggios (Tangerine Dream influence, perhaps?), sometimes drums and vocals.

The title track 'The Harmony Codex' consists of repetitive chord changes and a somewhat pretentious voice-over which is repeated in the end track, Staircase. The voice-over reminded me of a similar female voice from the William Orbit track 'Water from a Vine Leaf'.

One thing I will say for the music is that it goes in unexpected directions. There are, what I think of, as 'Wilson-esque' chord changes which are an immediate antidote to the hackneyed chord changes you hear in top ten singles these days which all sound the same. Although I found Steven's longer instrumental tracks to be very similar to each other, this is unusual music. Apart from a bit of conspicuous guitar, it's mostly electronic and is the evolution of The Future Bites rather than a throwback to Steven's earlier albums such as Grace for Drowning.

Although I really respect Steven as an artist and for fearlessly doing his own thing, I have felt, over the years, that he and I are diverging in terms of the kind of music I enjoy and like to listen to. I found this offering flat and unemotional. It's possible that I'm wrong and that I would enjoy it more if I listened more, but I don't feel inclined to since my first listen was so unrewarding. I can respect this music, but I didn't enjoy it. It's better than The Future Bites, but in my world, that's not saying much.

Steven Wilson, in an attempt to decompose music as a historical stratum and reconstruct it as a whole disarticulated and even contradictory piece, lifts his discography through a set of songs that go from the emblematic protestant quality against technology present in Porcupine Tree's most emblematic records towards a macrocosmic vision on the creation of future musics.

The album is based on a story originally written by Steven himself for his book of autobiographical reflections "A Limited Edition of One", which deals with the search of a teenager who has to find his sister in a bombed-out London skyscraper. In that constant ascent of stairs that on some floor contain the answer, lies a deep reflection on several existential aspects that will be touched on in this album.

The song that begins this work, "Inclination", starts with a very defined movement and sounds that oscillate between the African and the Asian, at the same time that they are sustained in an attempt of ambience, of constructed naturalness (this already gives an idea of what is to come). In any case, these continental dyes are brief, since a decisive percussion will enter to mold that atmosphere and create a space of electronic terminology. Once the idea of an almost out-of-context opening is introduced, the flute enters to give melody to a song whose first two minutes are a pure experimental exercise. The listener notices that this track is divided in 2 when in the middle Steven suddenly appears to establish a soberly sentimental song, quite typical of those singers of electronic alternative sound groups. The bubble is well achieved: time is used in a way that only a guy with many years in music could encompass. Each idea is molded parallel to others without damaging the enveloping structure. It's definitely a good start. In my opinion, above the openings of his other studio albums subsequent to the relentless HCE (or competing closely with My Book of Regrets, that song that opens "4 1/2", with a typical Steven trait, but with a touch of indie mixes).

Then we continue with "What Life Brings". This song takes us unexpectedly to Porcupine Tree's periods of optimistic musicality, like the positive-psychedelic songs (or at least their parts) of Deadwing, but more minimalist. A track with floydian guitars that serves as a good mood passage within the album's listening, but lags behind as an individual song. Also, this has to do with the fact that it is not comfortable to call songs to the pieces that compose this album. Everything seems to be part of a concept; of a new current that Steven is trying to shoulder as an inventor. And, as for this, only time will tell. What we can say is its sonorous-energetic resolution: The Harmony Codex comes to continue The Future Bites, but not to resemble them. We know that Steven has been rediscovering himself for some time now in a half progressive, half "random" (an adjective that applies only to us, the listeners and followers) stage, as the nature of prog crossover dictates.

Already giving us an idea that an unpredictable album is coming, comes "Economies of Scale". When I heard this song as a preview, I didn't like it at all. I received it overloaded with poorly realized ideas. It was a surprise for me to listen to it in the album and find a completely different sense. It's destabilized electronic music where each instrument seems to be taken from a different genre, even each voice separately, especially at that moment where each element is on the rise and then descends to the initial harmonies. I'm not going to lie, it's on this second listening that I find its grace, but I think it's due to what was already mentioned: this album doesn't have songs, but parts that compose a whole. An automated but revealing whole.

If the fans of their progressive stage were starting to get tired, "Impossible Tightrope" arrives, without any doubt, the most progressive track of the album. It starts with a passage led by violins similar to the development of The Raven[...], but in a matter of seconds the percussion enters to give the necessary impact of personality. It is perceived how this powerful song tries to have a sense of chase, of precise and exciting rhythm, again floydian in many aspects. Although I also find the furious traces similar to certain moments of the most eccentric Tangerine Dream, and the ambient traces to Johnny Harris' "All to Bring You Morning". It's surprising how original this song is considering that this type of "suites that aren't suites", quick 10 minutes or so, have been done in almost every possible way. Steven achieves the illusion of every musical element being enveloped in a kind of autotrophic whirlwind. The first concrete return of this journey to his early solo albums by way of jazzy gunshots and angular arrangements.

The weak point of the album takes place in its center. Anyway, it is not so easy to think of "Rock Bottom" as the biggest slip both in progressive terms and in general terms, because despite being one of those songs that pretends to have an immense philosophical meaning in a few words, it ceases to be so immediately as soon as the next track is played. Now, there's something that has to be said: Steven sticks a song that sounds like something out of a Lana del Rey album in the middle of an extended progressive instrumental and a song that returns to the hyper-electronic instrumentation of Economies of Scale. And the funniest thing of all is that it doesn't look bad. I didn't find it a "powerful" song as I've read more than one.... I feel like I've heard this many times before. Still, I really like that the development of the album is extremely unconventional. It is possible that also for this reason it will grab historical value as the years go by.

After some soulful pop, we move up the next floor and are met with "Beautiful Scarecrow". This is perhaps the track on the album that most seeks to calm the waters due to its few noticeable impacts. It seeks to drown the listener in a sea of underwater or terrifying sounds with a percussion that violently stalks everything near it. It shows the most intimate virtuoso side of Wilson, the one where, in the midst of his steadfastness to follow new paths, he manages to make mixtures between his past eras and the musicological innovations he wants to germinate.

And after several scattered steps, we arrive at the homonymous track, "The Harmony Codex". In my opinion and without any doubt, it is the most important piece of the album, where Steven confesses almost totally everything he is looking for in music: to embrace melody, harmony and rhythm from a macrocosmic confection. My bet is that, in the future, we will remember this song as the first in many, many years where a popular progressive artist (in this case, the most popular) makes a 10-minute composition where textures and arrangements matter more than the song itself. It is even a statement of principles about how his music is now manufactured. A spiritual summary of what the album is about. That's why it will be eponymously titled, right? An introspective crescendo in 6/8 whose main technical merit lies in not resembling anything Wilson has done before.

We come down a bit from the cosmic fever with "Time is Running Out", where Wilson also proves that he is a great musician in small gestures: with the same instruments used in the previous sidereal song, he continues the album by changing it into a pop-electronic song. I don't know if it is now possible to measure the capacity he has to make each song almost a different genre in the same album, but I also bet that in the future it will be valued. Yet another piece to tie together an album that lifts his discography after a few slips.

"Actual Brutal Facts" kicks off with a "Second Life Syndrome" style that gives gusto, setting expectations high, but then enters a rap with some effects that I flat out dislike. I think that removing the vocals would make for a great song - even without any lead instrument to replace it, it would coordinate better! It's even a bit disappointing to come across such a song after a concept that kept growing. I'll be honest as it's always fair: I don't find this song attractive at all.

And to finish this so particular album, comes, as a reward, the Steven that I like the most, the one that sings protestant to the evolution of technology. In my opinion, it is definitely the closest approach to Fear of a Blank Planet in many years (always respecting the limits of this album, of course). About 10 minutes that pretend to be the last efforts and steps of a search full of sense, with the accompanying voice of Rotem, his wife, delivering a sensitive and more than adequate narration to seal another stoic confession of Steven in this very interesting path that is his solo discography.

The Harmony Codex is a dystopian realization that seeks to teleport the listener to isolated places but not monotonous, but of maximum intensity. Something like "lose yourself to find yourself", only in a building endlessly cannoned and in search of a loved one, the most important thing you can have in life. Certainly, a necessary high in the solo discography of the figure of Porcupine Tree, who never ceases to surprise us. In my opinion, this is one of the albums of the year.

So much hype with this record. I listened to the album immediately with some hope. If you saw SW social media during the last weeks you may have seen many videos with teasers and himself explaining things about production. That was just a tiny part of what the album is, just a few seconds. That's the problem, the rest of the album is the same. Boring, repetitive, minimalistic

He always says he's not a great guitarist, performer, musician; he is just a producer? and he has done some very nice records, of course, but not all his discography is great. Proclaiming himself as a good producer and releasing this poor album? Anyway.

Now, the big fans of Steven Wilson will come and say that this is the real SW. For me, it's just a boring and forgettable record. Nice, very nice ideas but poor, very poor arrangements and decisions.

Steven Wilson has always hated classifications and fans pigeonholing him into a single genre or style, making disappointment inevitable when you don't fit into those parameters. And in this latest work he wanted to give us a little bit of everything: from touches of classic progressive, electronic pop, ambient, touches of jazz... long themes, short themes... This obsession to go out of the canons, may be to the detriment of an album perhaps too varied. But even so, you can see the coherence, the narrative... and above all the great imagination to tell stories through musical ideas. That's Steven Wilson... you have to accept all those contradictions and changes that, on the other hand, are a good part of the genius of his art.

The Harmony Codex is an eclectic release of pop, electronic, ambient, rap, prog, and a smidge of jazz through the songs. Overall the music is drab and depressing, a common theme found with any Wilson release. So what is different this time? The use of electronic beats is abundant, so if that's your gig you will be pleased. Another burning question is how is the mix? Since I was not invited to the special listening sessions with the half million dollar playback system and special mix I have no clue. I am streaming it with buds and the mix sounds okay, nothing justifying all the hype. As for the music, "What Life Brings" stands out but it definitely sounds like I've heard this before. "Impossible Tightrope", the epic space jam, has its moments (the drumming, sax, and keyboard solos) but has too much repetition to keep me engaged. The title track is far too long and mellow, but could be a good tune for a snooze. I like "Actual Brutal Facts" but wish the rap section and music were more brutal. "Staircase" is another stand out tune. Dig the chirping guitar and the cool flanged out bass break that puts it over the top.

Overall, this a decent release, better than expected. Solid three stars.

The prog rock and beyond legend Steven Wilson continues to explore new horizons in his music, and in the process befuddle many of his fans, myself included. I have to say that as the singles for this record dropped I became ever more excited and intrigued in ways I haven't been for his solo material since 2013's almost predictable yet amazingly performed The Raven That Refused to Sing. This was in marked contrast to the three solo LPs proceeding The Harmony Codex, where I experienced such disappointment that I didn't even bother to listen to The Future Bites's singles before the project came out as a whole and I was happily surprised by most of the results. The course of the singles pulled listeners in many different directions, an eclectic cornucopia when taken as a whole that teased not only a partial return to Wilson's more capital-P Prog stylings but a sort of fusion of that into his electronic inclinations. The final package replicates these twists over the first half before evolving into a mostly straight sequel to TFB, if markedly improved over said solid predecessor. The result is an excellent album.

It's prudent, if a tinge dispiriting, to divide an analysis of the instrumentation in half. First then is the more conventionally *prog rock* forms that dominated the singles and the first part of THC. These make up most of the truly striking parts of the record even though they are often rooted in some of prog's more typical stylings, as they are rather new to Wilson's palette and he and the dizzying array of backing and guest musicians on deck play them fairly uniquely and always powerfully. Wilson has also given over some of the guitar solos across the record to Niko Tsonev, most notably the plaintive post-Floyd climax to "Rock Bottom". The height of all this is appropriately the monumental "Impossible Tightrope", an almost-instrumental that tests the limits of both Wilson's nature as a musical factotum and the skills of the aforementioned fellow players. By turns floating in either the sea or the sky (in part with the "ambient guitar" of David Kollar) before barreling through frenetic drums (Nate Wood of the band Kneebody), bass (Wilson), keys (Adam Holzman), and guitar (variously Wilson, Tsonev, and Lee Harris's "psychedelic guitar") featuring great solos including some of Theo Travis's most energetic saxophone blasts.

Making up both the very opening and the second half of the album are the new electronic idioms Wilson has come to use, which strike me as overall more mature than those on TFB and successful in his stated desire to move beyond that record and its overt pop direction. While more or less by their nature tending to be somewhat static in their core beats and arpeggios, Wilson and his keyboardist guests like Jack Dangers of Meat Beat Manifesto have sought to diversify these soundscapes with industrial upsurges and some excellent guitar solos. There's also the turning point in the opener "Inclination" that shows the power of silence in music and heralds what's almost a new song, and some evolution in the cuts that peak with arguably THC's finest stretch, "Beautiful Scarecrow". Indeed, the project's only sub-par cut is the title track, which abandons all that to float listlessly in an ambient wasteland that is terribly ungripping and ends up feeling hopelessly out of place on the record. While arguably failing somewhat in delivering on Wilson's pledge that every last track would be significantly different from each other, the consistently dour and even unnerving electronic cuts are delicious and avoid the mid-album drop in quality that capsized To The Bone.

On top of all this is the strength of vocals and much of the lyricism on The Harmony Codex. Wilson has challenged himself to not only improve those vocal stylings he has previously used but to try some new ones. The main example of this comes from "Actual Brutal Facts" where he for the first time slowly yet bitterly raps a broadside against the likes of Patrick Bateman businessmen and the kind of megaphone malcontents attacked in Porcupine Tree's "Rats Return", cloaked in sinister effects and with a vile cackling acting as his hype man. All the same he shines in his more usual singing voice, with "Beautiful Scarecrow" and "What Life Brings" as highlights on that end. This is alongside the triumph of "Rock Bottom", which is the long awaited scaffolding upon which Ninet Tayeb has been able to show the full power of her mellifluous voice, which Wilson was able to match in a superb duet. The project also benefits from some of the best music videos associated with Wilson's oeuvre. Interpretive dance defines both "Economies of Scale" and "What Life Brings", with the latter an arresting picture of the shattered lives of a car accident that befits Wilson's lyrics of loss, with the man himself the observer of lost possibility as he directly addresses his audience. "Rock Bottom" is given a direct perspective of our singers, while "Impossible Tightrope" and the title track have arresting visual landscapes, the latter's futuristic yet abandoned London deserving a far better cut.

In summation, The Harmony Codex truly is the best solo work Steven Wilson has put out since The Raven if not Grace For Drowning, a marvelous and forward thinking record that is a solid compromise between his prog rock and various electronic directions. I look forward to the "alternate version" of THC that is the deluxe edition's Harmonic Distortion. My final words I will use to encourage every current and former SW fan to try this LP, which I believe has something for everyone and a superior take on TFB's styles well worth listening to.

As a big fan of old Porcupine Tree space rock albums, The Harmony Codex is a very pleasant surprise to me. While the album is a deeper approach with the sound started with The Future Bites, I've found myself reminding Steven's earliest works, with the use of lots of synths, electronic beats and instrumental passages. Solos are abundant, sometimes it's just a very distorted guitar, sometimes a floydian-esque lead guitar and definitely lots of keyboards (rhodes, synth leads, etc).

The album also has a much more introspective and comtemplative focus, giving me a similar sound approach of The Sky Moves Sideways, as well as the mostly instrumental Impossible Tightrope. (Some cool "pink floyd live at pompeii" guitar effects). Actual Brutal Facts remids me of the earliest "On the Sunday of life" moments and the opener "Inclination" and the title track of "Up the Downstairs".

Fantastic album and one of SW best solo efforts, behind only Hand Cannot Erase or Grace for Drowning. Great to see that his Space Rock roots are as good as ever.

controversial one no doubt. some may think this record is the second arrival of christ and some may think it's electronic crap. I, for one, think this is a very overhyped, overblown disc, and if it had been released by any unknown artist, no one would be talking about it. maybe they would be asking where they got the money to put together such a big production, nothing else.

yes it has great production, yes it sounds great, but the MUSIC is just not that engaging, nor the MELODIES, I find nothing to be emotional, powerful, nothing. I really don't get all the fuzz about this one, people gathering to listen to this in some dark basement. like, imagine doing this same thing just to listen to 3 olivia rodrigo songs weirdly put together with a 10 minutes tangerine dream track.

loved some songs on the record, hated some other. It wants so bad to be experimental, but it's not. pick a song from grace from drowning, then connect it with a song from the future bites, voilá! we all know steven can compose a whole bunch of music on different genres, but I don't want the foxes playing with the chickens.

anyways, here the pros: - the pop songs are generally good, they sound great and make me happy when I listen to them on separate. rock bottom, man what a ballad and what a singer, I love ninet tayeb. what life brings is an okay tune, and time is running out is fine too (liked the mikael akerfeldt version better tho). - staircase is a great tune, mixing with all those 10 minutes of nothing, spoken word, infinite pretentiousness madness. I guess imposible tightrope is ok too.

btw no i'm not a hater of steven's work at all, au contraire, love the guy (even if he is a little pretentious here and there), absolutely a fan of his remixes to 70's prog, absolutely think fear of a blank planet is one of the best records on earth, bla, bla, bla. so i'm just sharing my honest, complete thoughts. I expected peak music but I received blandness and songs I don't like (or get, it's ok if you want to make me feel that way).

ALSO: actual brutal facts, oh man, really? terrrrrrrible song, you liked that??? really??? then I have a few recomendations for you: stop with the I-only-listen-to-prog crap and go listen Kendrick Lamar, MF Doom, or Travis Scott, cause man, just BAD RAPPING, bland, cringy-ass voice effect. worst sw song since idk metanoia.

An objective chronicle.

1. Inclination and the Arabic intro, a little wind, that's all it's prog for; good, a deafening bass that can cast doubt, a trance-like air of déjà vu on layers of sampled wind instruments, the obvious break that leaves on an airplane runway; 3 minutes and Steve arrives, his voice, a piano, crystal clear the atmosphere, the electro synths return and give in the open air box, very/too monolithic, a latent repetitive air, choirs swelling the effect, some tinkering like mixed trumpets 2. What Life Brings follows, melody with piano, Steve who raises his voice on an arpeggio ballad from the 60's, yes from the time of the BEATLES and Anglican gangster films well dressed in mod outfits; a beautiful little guitar solo driving home the lascivious connotation and Ninet which appears in the background 3. Economies of Scale with a return to ultra-used samples; only his voice becomes progressive, the rest is just a basic drum machine, which everyone can reproduce; Yes, but; a still latent air while today's sound goes straight to the chorus to try to hit the potential listener; a gentle, gripping climb, I will push a little and I will say melancholy spleen 4. Impossible Tightrope worked intro, strings and nervous rock riff, it changes from its many previous tendencies, a high riff leaves on psychedelic PINK FLOYD, from afar yes but still; footsteps, a snarling sax then an ethereal break, we are indeed on a tightrope; 5'22'' and angelic choirs come to throw even more discord; go for a bit of THE ENID, hold in the distance a solo from BANKS from GENESIS, the tune suddenly becomes simple, the moment for Adam to launch into a crazy jazzy vein; the break sound on the spleen before the contemplative finale and the return of the strings at the start; the slap. 5. Rock Bottom with Ninet as guest and a gravelly voice on a lament tune; haunting rise, slow from another heavy time, guitar in the style of ANATHEMA before their end; Ninet raises the tone launching a Gilmourian solo which confirms the talent of this artist. Ninet reminds me of the voice of the singer of RUBY DAWN.

6. Beautiful Scarecrow return to the sampled, electro sound, a sign of ultimate ease for all progues; air darkening for a time before using these sounds as evil bass; throbbing violin break, spleen, yes this musical atmosphere is not as cheerful as one might think; tribal break with horn, a bit like Peter GABRIEL but better, I confirm; a deafening trance with few vocals in fact; Steve comes back, puts us in the right direction, his hair gone in all directions 7. The Harmony Codex eponymous title, intro reminding me of VANGELIS of course and an outro sound that slips in; a minimalist melody where words from Ninet like those of Marta from AMAROK slip in; a long and slow atmospheric dreamlike crescendo which aims to be soaring, outside the ambient system 8. Time Is Running Out electro ballad for a while, yes it moves and the catchy tune of the 80's-90's shows that these decades were not as deserted as advertised; warm guitar solo flirting with MAY's guitar 9. Actual Brutal Facts with acoustic guitar and dark bass, note this dichotomy of instruments used to surprise a little more; phrasing voice, dub atmo air like his personal works from the beginning; a slow musical wave, heady and hypnotic with its share of sound effects like this ANGEL-style ha-ha in 'Fou'; the bass becomes ultra; it explodes on a modern sound, tampered with, distorted, miring our perception in a musical disarray intended without a doubt, brutal 10. Staircase a staircase, yes to go up, to fall? A staircase for the 4th big piece and the use of these 'musik elektronische' sounds excessively? Or how to make music evolve on a progressive slope, take this Floydian solo as proof of a move that flows naturally and makes us forget electro; meditative verse where the sound leads the listener to listen to the sound, its message, its melody; spatial synth trace on 'Blade Runner'; it goes up but it moves, proof on a piano break and its divine violin, there it's 'Interstellar' in the distance, it's simply beautiful; Ninet comes to speak for a while, explaining where to take the stairs? The synth tricks of Adam and Jack add to the cinematic atmosphere for a varied and well-constructed album.

The new Steven Wilson album defies several rules that progressive rock hard police finds a treason to the genre. As it happens to other bands that have tried to generate and think outside of the 70s canon, the idea of mixing electronica and prog rock is considered by many as a sort of devious pursue of making money or selling yourself to the industry. Despite the feeling of being set aside that most of the music produced during the 80s and late 70s by the likes of Yes, ELP, Gentle Giant, PFM, Banco, Genesis (though I have to say their pop sound was far more attractive and better in quality than that of Yes or ELP), contemporary prog rock should benefit from the teachings of that shift. I recognize that The Future Bites was somewhat of a letdown, not because of the change in style already started in "Hand Cannot Erase" and strongly increased in "To the bone", I think the problem with TFB was that it lacked a soul, something strong to connect with. With the exception of some songs, I believe, that the lack of success (it also was not as good as expected in number of streamings neither as in the purchase of the physical album) resided in a certain feel of not reaching to the level of emotions that the previous work did. In The Harmony Codex, the explorations of TFB continue to grow, they sound more congruent, solid and explorative. The sound comes and goes from sounds that may have come from the early sound of Porcupine Tree, but that don't feel like an homage of the 90s, but a development of a search in Wilson's sound palette, never happy with what happened before. This album is constructed as a complete experience, and builds up momentum if listened with a good pair of headphones. Highlights are the long ones, specially the title song and Staircase. Nevertheless, I don't think it equals the two albums which for me constitute the very best of Wilson's solo career: HCE and TRTRTS. But I don't agree with a lot of reviews considering this as a bad album, and Wilson a traitor to the genre. I love how liquid the barrier can get in terms of inspirations, influences and musical styles that are mixed here, allowing prog rock to look at the past with amazement, but not fearing to evolution and change.

Let's start this off with a quick exercise. First, I want you to take a listen to Steven Wilson's 2013 opus The Raven That Refused to Sing. Even if you've heard it many times before, just take a moment to re-absorb that vintage prog majesty once again. The elaborate bass lines, the lush mellotrons, the jazz fusion tinges... yeah, that's good stuff. Now that you're done with that, let's fast-forward to 2021 and revisit The Future Bites. The electropop sound, the (attempted) social commentary of the lyrics, the cold sparse atmosphere... now, that's a stylistic 180 if I've ever heard one. Obviously Wilson was building up to the style found on The Future Bites -- To the Bone definitely primed the pump for that -- but when jumping straight from one end of his catalog to another, it's enough to give one whiplash.

More than anything though, To the Bone and The Future Bites served as a message to his fans: expect the unexpected. For every elaborate prog number like "Luminol" or "Raider II", there might be a dance-pop tune like "Permeating" or a bluesy rocker like "Eminent Sleaze" to catch you off-guard. And it's this type of thinking that got me extremely curious about what Wilson would bring with The Harmony Codex. After all, what stylistic turn could he make after going all-in with the pop and electronic influences?

Well, Wilson did the best thing he could in this situation: take what actually worked on the previous record, and expand it into a more sprawling, cinematic experience. And he seemed poised to fully take advantage of this direction both aurally and visually, as the video for lead single "Economies of Scale" features two people dancing in a large chapel space with impressive choreography, shot entirely in one take. Oh, and Wilson himself makes a cameo appearance! See if you can spot him. Meanwhile, the music itself is just as grand and engaging; Wilson creates a complex tapestry of layered vocals, as the skittering Radiohead-style percussion gives the ornate instrumentation some grounding and tension. More than anything, "Economies of Scale" served as an excellent bridge between The Future Bites and the rest of The Harmony Codex.

Of course, much of the record delves even further into this sweeping musical territory. The other big single, and the one that Wilson really wanted people to be hyped for, is the 11-minute "Impossible Tightrope". And how many lyrics do we get throughout this lengthy excursion? Three lines. That's all we get. The rest of the track is an ambitious exercise in worldbuilding, including (but not limited to) the following highlights: wailing sax lines, cold post-punk-esque guitar leads, jazzy keyboard breaks, and a beautiful ambient section in the middle to cap it all off. And it's at this moment that I realized something: The Harmony Codex as a whole is basically an olive branch between the traditional and modern prog sensibilities of Wilson's solo career (granted, I suppose we already got this earlier on with Hand. Cannot. Erase., but still...).

While "Impossible Tightrope" might be the best example of that bridge, but it's certainly present elsewhere too. For another extended tune that exhibits this middle ground extremely well, we get the highly atmospheric title track. The guitars and synths drone on hypnotically as Wilson's wife Rotem provides some lovely narration to flesh out the ambiance of the piece. From then on, it's mostly a suspenseful post-rockish buildup for the rest of the song -- simple in concept, but strong in execution. Still, this is not to say that Wilson's abandoned that more tender, singer-songwriter side of his DNA, as cuts like the pensive alt-rocker "What Life Brings" and the emotionally gripping ballad "Rock Bottom" prove. The latter is especially notable because it marks the return of longtime collaborator Ninet Tayeb, as she and Wilson embark on the first duet together since 2017's "Pariah" -- and, as always, Tayeb brings the house down with her raw, passionate delivery.

Despite all of this praise, I can't help but feel as though something's missing here. It might have to do with the overall lack of these more self-contained, concise moments, but the aforementioned worldbuilding could stand to be reined-in at times. While the extended, sprawling pieces are neat from a conceptual and atmospheric perspective, they also make The Harmony Codex more emotionally distant at times and -- dare I say -- even a bit hollow. I did mention earlier that "Economies of Scale" was like a way of connecting The Future Bites and The Harmony Codex together, and this does apply to some of the other songs as well. Unfortunately, that also comes with the former album's baggage, whether it be in moments of questionable songwriting, dull vocal inflections, or an overly synthetic vibe.

Still, this shouldn't deter Steven Wilson fans from checking out The Harmony Codex, as it's a huge step up from its predecessor. If anything, this is basically the direction he should have gone in immediately after To the Bone, as it seems like a logical development from that record's electronica-tinged prog-pop style. In any case, this is basically Wilson's "cinematic" album, and allows him to play around with a wide variety of fun styles and experiments using that theme. It's sprawling, it's immersive, it's widescreen, and -- most of all -- it's a sign that our favorite(?) modern progger still has plenty left to say, even over 30 years into his illustrious career.

Unlike this previous album, Steve Wilson has no idea what kind of album he wanted here; that's why it comes as a more diverse album. If "Futur Bitres" has not reached a consensus amongst critics and fans, this one could do the same if you expect music in the style of his first solo albums on every song. After the first three songs, I was about to give up on less-inspired electronic pop songs. But then in the song "Impossible Tightrope" the magic started to happen with the electric guitar, and it was the first rock song that took us back to the albums "Raven" and "Grace for Drowning". After those songs, every song is much more inspiring, even though we are far away from the shredding guitars of his previous releases before "Futur Bites". The music can sound like a soundtrack with various atmospheres. "Rock Bottom" with Nanet singing can sound similar to the song "Don't Give Up," but with a nice guitar solo added. "Beautiful Scarecrow" shows a Peter Gabriel soundtrack style of music. The title track is a beautiful ambient song bringing to mind the dreaming state of a dystopian world, a recurrent theme in Steve Wilson's imagination. "Time is Running Out" is in the style of "Futur Bites," with some electronic pop music, cool voice effects, and nice percussion patterns. "Actual Brutal Facts" has a nice crescendo where the guitars are more incisive until the end. "Staircase" is in the style of the "To The Bone" album, with a pop influence and a terrific bass part in the middle before returning to the dream state of the title track. We have come to a full circle...

Damned if you do and damned if you don't, whilst contemplating the sad reality of how negative news, comments and opinions seem to garner more favour (as well as likes, subscribers, and revenues) than positive, upbeat feelgood vibes. Nobody is perfect except those who claim that their opinion is the truth and at the same time bellowing that everything has a dark side (like the moon). Slick being a never wrong lawyer masquerading as an always correct blogger. Always thought that it's the artist who decides the direction his craft needs to go and not the audience's prerogative to dictate what said artist should have done. Damned if you do and damned if you don't. If you put out the same hit album over and over again, you are milking the cow and taking no chances but if you dare go off on another tangent, you have let down your fans and lost your way (a cross and rusty nails await). Steve Wilson the artist (not the castaway volleyball) has changed course a few times in his long career, but the latest swing has brought out many of the hate-mongers who seemingly know better what he should be doing (which is what exactly?). I am not a judge, jury or executioner, there are more then enough of them going around. I see, I hear, I write, and you get to decide. But if I don't like it, I won't even touch it. I obviously like The Harmony Codex (and posted no review for To the Bone or The Future Bites, because I was not into it, at the time). Okay, rant over.

The slightly oblique electronica of "Inclination" has a typewriter-gone-mad section that is super clever, a tasty intro to a thundering beat , courtesy of Pat Mastelotto, perhaps one of the finest prog drummers around, before blooming into a dense art-rock cocktail that has a later era Roxy Music feel, Steve wielding a microphone with inner- city flair and urban chic like a modern day Bryan Ferry, smirking flute and trumpet flutter, martini glass shattering Niko Tsonev guitar, reverberating piano and jungle jangle clatter. It's not classic prog but definitely classy music. Two shorter tracks that seek to define the mood as opposed to the over technical disposition of what is to come after. First, the silky smooth "What Life Brings" has drummer Craig Blundell and Guy Pratt on bass, grooving to a shimmering Wilson lead guitar, very accessible material not too far from Blackfield and the follow up "Economies of Scale" which is a densely orchestrated choir and effects arrangement armed with minimalist piano, a soft forlorn vocal and percussive programming ejections.

Sounding like climbing up an "Impossible Tightrope", this nearly 12-minute romp comes across as a progressive roller coaster of colliding extremes, a massive choir work that defies gravity flowing into a raging intensity bordering on fever, a scintillating Adam Holzman e-piano avalanche, a trio of guitarists (ambient, psychedelic, and electric), a slippery violin, a hardy sax, tons of synths and fertile drums from Nate Wood. All that was missing was some kitchen plumbing. The plaintive "Rock Bottom" is an album high point (sorry for the pun), featuring the rather remarkable Ninet Tayeb, a modern day Claire Torry or Durga McBroom, who can wrench every drop of saliva out of her sultry voice (you can feel it in your bones). The resonating e-piano acts as an emotional foil for the naked arrangement, enhanced by the orchestral adornments that is off the charts. Brilliant piece of gut-wrenching poise. Niko Tsonev carves the remnants of decorum left with a surgical guitar scalpel that shows no remorse. A look back to the past with "Beautiful Scarecrow", a track that would have fitted nicely on Insurgentes or The Raven Refused to Sing. Nick Beggs on Chapman stick, Blundell on the sticks, duduk courtesy of Theo Travis

A complete reversal of style is shockingly unexpected on the Vangelis meets St-Peter in heaven "The Harmony Codex", that slings this album into a ten-minute reflective elevation that could (and for some critics is) become a tricky deviation into a cul-de-sac that might spell disaster. I own 48 Tangerine Dream records, so I won't be a candidate for Ariadne's Thread. I get to chill a bit, which is always prudent. We arrive back to the opposite spectrum, the simple British electro-pop of "Time Is Running Out", very close to recent Peter Gabriel, cinematic voice effects blending with percolating percussives and an elastic guitar burst from Niko. Modern stylistics and secure cleverness.

With clanging guitar arpeggios, narration-like voices (no, its not rap for crying out quiet), blender on puree synths, electronic pitter patter, all kinds of argy-bargy going on in the background, "Actual Brutal Facts" is an ear-opening hodge podge of troubling sounds, neither harsh nor saccharine but certainly disturbing. Great bass line that had me winking at the latest Riverside "Id.entity", and a highly futuristic vibe that pushes the boundaries quite a bit. "Staircase" is a killer final track, another farsighted piece that has a breathtaking pulse (an oft seen Wilson attribute in all his previous incarnations) with impeccable vocals, both lead and harmony, a wicked bass gurgle (SW) and solid rhythmic backbone from both the athletic Blundell and the booming Samuel Fogarino, and some Rotem Wilson narration that winks anew at the fluttering elasticity of the title track. So before shielding myself from the imminent onslaught of derisive reply, let me say that I was born and raised on my first and continuing icon, the entire Roxy Music catalog has always been my musical bible. It should therefore not come as a surprise that this stunning 2023 album resonated with me so deeply. Comfortable slippers and my feet aren't numb.

4.5 congruence manuscripts

I'm writing this review after maybe six listens and although I usualy give all Steven Wilson and Porcupine Tree releases five stars, I can't give this any more than 4. As usual the production and overall sound quality are as expected from a man like SW, but the tracks, I don't know, it's just not Hand.Cannot.Erase or To The Bone. The songwriting is okay, but not top notch. What Life Brings is a nice poppy song and I like Economies Of Scale and Actual Brutal Facts a lot, but the album's core track in terms of length, Impossible Tightrope, just doesn't do much for me. I bought the Blu-ray version, which gives a hires, a 5.1 and a Dolby Atmos mix and they sound awesome. If only the music was as good as it sounds. Still I can't give this release anything less than 4 stars, because it is Steven Wilson and I happen to adore the man and because I think even a lesser album by SW is still better than most of the crap we hear today on radio and Spotify. So again: thumbs up for Steven!

'The Harmony Codex' is the latest addition to the ever-expanding Steven Wilson catalogue. This ambitious solo album comes after the general disappointment that 'The Future Bites' was, when Wilson incorporated techniques and sounds coming from synth pop and electronica (releasing a massive four-disc set full of new tracks, demos, covers, and what have you), and after the great return of Porcupine Tree (this time as a trio) with 'Closure/Continuation', an album that received rave reviews, deservedly.

'THC', however, sounds like none of these aforementioned albums, as Wilson likes to draw a clear line between his solo releases and the releases of the bands he's in, whether it be PT, No-Man, or Blackfield. In this sense his 'Codex' is quite unique, as it stands as the undoubtedly most stylistically diverse of all SW solo works, so much that it could hardly be classified into a specific category, meaning that his attempt to create a genre-less album has been successful. It could be described as the evolution of 'Hand. Cannot. Erase' through a filter of TFB, some Pink Floyd, and some 80s alt rock and art pop, if this makes any sense.

This is well portrayed by the unusual opener 'Inclination', a great track that builds up slowly, entirely instrumental in its first half, and pretty much not featuring any "real instruments", if tapes, sequencers, and computer programmed effect could be considered "unreal" instruments. The mood of this song fits the typical Wilson-esque melancholic dread that everyone goes to him for. This is followed by a beautiful ballad in the style of early 70s psych prog, featuring Ninet Tayeb, the fantastic Israeli female singer that has helped him very often in some of his best songs - 'What Life Brings' is a tranquil and somber, unlike the previous track on here. 'Economies of Scale' is one of the highlights on the album, and the best representation of what interests Wilson most musically. It sounds like an upgrade of one of the songs on TFB, it features beautiful vocals, a picturesque build-up and a fantastic experimental instrumental. 'Impossible Tightrope' is the big 10-minute prog and fusion extravaganza, once again featuring some great playing. It is worth noting that the cast of musicians contributing to this album is absolutely massive, as the listener could see the names of Adam Holzmann, Craig Blundell, David Kollar, Niko Tsonev, Nick Beggs, Pat Mastelotto, Guy Pratt and David Kosten, among many others in the liner notes. One must say that knowing this for sure takes away the experience of listening to a band performing its collective work, which, of course, this album is not. The desired genre-less final product might have motivated the large cast of guest musicians but this also results to an extent in a bit of a disconnection here and there, as something is surely missing, another dimension that can be felt on other SW solo albums, a sense of intimacy that might have slipped away somewhere.

'Rock Bottom' is a strong duet between Wilson and Ninet, another one of the stronger compositions on the album, once again very melancholic and downtempo. 'Beautiful Scarecrow' is interesting but is not the best thing Wilson has produced, as it falls a bit short on having a particular direction or moment of release. The title track is a 10-minute electronic sequence, strongly resembling something that could have been done by Tangerine Dream in the early 70s. All I could say is that this is one of the tracks I can hardly stand. 'Time is Running Out' sounds a bit uninspired, both lyrically and musically. 'Actual Brutal Facts' is a very grim electronic rock exploration, definitely something new for Wilson, curious addition to the album, that unfortunately could not have saved the second half of the 'Codex' from sounding infinitely more tedious than the first one. 'Staircase' is another longer song, finally quoting Pink Floyd again in the nylon guitar strumming that is in the background. Rock instrumentation mixes beautifully with the electronic soundscapes on this track, that sounds a most like a synthesis between HCE and TFB.

It is always great to have one of your favorite artists come back with a new album but the strength of 'The Harmony Codex' seems to me not corresponding to the hype created before its release. As a project it is quite ambitious, quite sonically bold and showcases Wison's musical interests in a perfect way but to me the album suffers from the missing element mentioned before, making it more difficult to connect to it. It is richly produced and bolsters a great sound, but the quality of the songs and the creativity have both suffered from the shifting of interest from musical material to sonic presentation.

With Porcupine Tree a going concern again thanks to Closure/Continuation, Steven decides to take a less purist prog approach on The Harmony Codex, his latest solo album. That's no surprise - after all, on albums like To the Bone and The Future Bites he'd already steered his solo releases away from the prog approach of albums like The Raven That Refused To Sing. Here, he seems to dabbling in a wide range of electronic sounds, with influences ranging from Nine Inch Nails to Vangelis to Air all detectable.

Painstakingly engineered and impeccably produced, it perhaps lacks a little in terms of sonic cohesiveness, but as far as collections of songs giving Wilson an opportunity to air his multi-instrumentalist skills, it's rather charming, and the sheer lushness of the sound of these compositions goes a long way towards making up for the lack of focus.

"The Long Way to Harmony." Steven Wilson's harmonies, of course. For a long time, I did not perceive this album, and frankly, it was the most "hard-to-get" release of ALL Steven's work (including absolutely all his bands). The cover - there is definitely something in this, something above the meaning, incomprehensible; here you need to ask the author. A very deceptive but vivid feeling is created when you listen to this record for the first time. It's like the record is too positive, and Steven decided to show the "bright sides" of hope, but this is fundamentally not the case! This is his darkest album, as far as possible. These are fragments of the "capitalist" depression, and loss of self-control, coupled with a sense of meaninglessness and disintegration of being. The concept of many of the album's songs is loss of hope and dehumanization. Fortunately, there are interpretations and texts on the official release website. The first impression is "What Life Brings", a direct reference to "12 Things I Forgot", only more expanded and rich in arrangements. A classic rock ballad, with a good measure of 70s prog rock. Perhaps the same "falling from the roof of the house" vibe is created by the dark, pulsating "Economy Of Scales; the composition seems to fall into the void, through the silence of a gloomy metropolis, window lights and cigarette smoke, loss, fatigue, unwillingness to live, due to moral decline. The thing itself is very beautiful, like a paper airplane soaring and falling down where there is no bottom. One of the best examples of Steven's beautiful singing. Heavy (by the standards of the album) "The Beautiful Scarecrow" - whose pulsating keyboards eerily stand up, like that very scarecrow through a nondescript landscape. Adam Holzman is a brilliant "gunner" familiar from Steven's previous solo albums (thank God, he did not refuse the services of a keyboard player on this disc). "Actual Brutal Facts". Ha! Disgusting, nasty, unpleasant! Yes, it's as ugly as possible, but thanks to this, the composition shoots out, sounding like a creepy dog barking. Steve just "spits" punch lines at the listener, like some Russian rapper of the premier class. Great! It works one hundred percent here! Perhaps the dirtiest and most impenetrable black spot in Wilson's music, maybe the guy just hated all this studio fuss and poured all his poison into this "real piece of [&*!#]", and therefore the thing sounds true and cool! Brutal, actual, according to the facts! Concept: something about toxic people and the danger of not acting on depreciation and devaluing blah blah. The main thing here is the music, the message! Yes! Filth, vice, horror and the reigning world of shadows, dog heads, hell and doom! The core and semantic "fist" of the album is the "Staircase" - an elite house, an expensive quadcopter, computers, drones, a car. But all this turns out to be really rotten and empty, due to the hero's lack of love and real affection for anything. A person is forced to run all his life, because stopping means depreciation, devaluation and death of what he has achieved ? this is a concept. There can be any interpretation here, as well as meanings, but the main thing is the music: as a sad result of the entire album, it goes darkly, crushed to nowhere, under the mournful lamentations of Steven Wilson. He put his whole soul into this admission, so much so that it gets scary for the guy. Steven is all inside out without skin:

Automaton drone You're lost with no phone And the home you made your own Can never be paid for The great in the small, the rise and the fall And you come back for more The need to belong And the will to do no wrong The ones that you lost, abandoned or crossed Will haunt you

It is no longer people who control processes and things, but people themselves who are controlled by technology and the greed of politicians who get under our skin with the help of trends and expensive things. Yes, perhaps this is the harsh truth of life. A cruel and fleeting world. A really dark and incredibly colorful album, richly published as usual, with the "noble modesty" of the packaging design. There are a dime a dozen meanings and harmonies here, and even "Rock Bottom" no longer seems such a creative disaster as at first glance. So why is the rate only 4? (it's actually 3, just out of great love for Steven) The fact is that "Impossible STRANGEHOLD" is still an icy dead end for me! Ten minutes of meaningless trampling in a place where the composition simply does not develop and does not fade, here I boldly say that Steven is experiencing serious difficulties as a composer. It would be better if this long senseless electric suffocating mess remained on the dusty master tapes without leaving the limits of Wilson's head. Or at least "decorate" some kind of deluxe edition bonus disc, but alas. Is this the part of the album that you want to cut out? Part of the album? What the hell? Damn it! It lasts as much as 10 minutes! I can't describe this without obscene, dirty language, I'm sorry. It destroys the harmony of the album completely. That's all for now.

Two years after "The Future Bites" and having released another album with Purcupine Tree in between, the prolific Steven Wilson returned to his old ways with another solo adventure called "The Harmony Codex"!

It is an album produced by Steven Wilson himself that abandons the more pop paths of his two previous works to once again enter a more progressive and experimental path, but which unfortunately fails to recover the brilliance of works like "The Raven that Refused to Sing" and "Hand Cannot Erase."

Perhaps for me the worst defect of this album is the style of many songs that seem repetitive and lacking in ideas, many of them turning out artificially elongated. That is something serious for someone who is used to listening to songs lasting more than half an hour without getting bored.

In any case, Steven Wilson fans are in luck, since at least this "The Harmony Codex" does manage to at least surpass the quality of the mediocre "To The Bone" and "The Future Bites". It is something!

Best Tracks: What Life Brings (the best song on the album and the only one that reminds us of Wilson's classic period. I especially like the accompaniment work on the keyboards), Impossible Tightrope (a song that recovers the instrumental brilliance of yesteryear, at least in part) and Time is Running Out (a track that makes another original use of the keyboard and offers us vocal melodies very typical of Wilson)

My Rating: ***

This is the album SW is most proud of because it is the culmination of many decades struggle to find the right balance between aspiration and realization. All the Porcupine Tree albums were a search for effective jadedness, which essentially means people who don't like pop music have an outlet. He exhausted that direction and spent the last 15 years trying to find a voice that reflected his true love of blended musical styles. He is a true fusion player as his devotion to ABBA and David Bowie, along with YES and Gentle Giant fuse into his vision which is this album. This is 4.5 stars for effort and 4 stars for result.

Hello fellow music lovers. Caught by surprise, this album didn't have much hype before its release apart from the great video of impossible tightrope which is how I found out about the album.

This album seems to be in a similar category to "to the bone" however Steven Wilson as usual has put together an album that conjures up different styles of progy music into one package which I like.

This album,in typical Steven Wilson fashion has absolutely great sonic excellence throughout, songs like "what life brings" has beautiful acoustic guitar and those beautiful lush vocal harmonies I really enjoy more so it's a nicely arranged with elements of rock, Pop and very slightly prog which is a throw back to the "lightbulb sun" album days.

The stand out track for most prog rockers will obviously be impossible tightrope. This tracks has elements that could be a 70's ECM record (but heavier) or something fusiony from a vertigo label album, it also has a great requiem/choir part in the middle and there are individual solos for key, sax and guitar so it explores some interesting territory.

Songs such as Economies of scale, then basically all tracks 7-10 have what I would describe as prog electronica rock but superbly executed in terms of additional acoustic instrumentation,theme of lyrics and arrangement etc. Whether the tracks are rock or electronica type of songs they all have great space, atmosphere and depth with cool guitars, keys and of course Gavin Harrison on drums mixed in there. If your into your audiophile Hi-Fi stuff you will really enjoy this album and it has a lot of dynamic range.

The song "The Harmony Codex" has an excellent monologue which is deep and touching in itself with an interesting audio trick which I forgotten what it's called.

In summary another great album from Steven that covers a lot of ground, has a very high degree of sonic excellence if listened to form start to finish it has a nice flow to it. A nice addition to any music lovers collection.

I rate it 3.75