THE PINEAPPLE THIEF

At this stage in the group's career, practically it is just guitarist and lead singer Bruce Soord, though with Nick Lang and Mark Harris as backup for drums, keyboards, and bass. Bruce is the main guy though, with his acoustic (sometimes electronic) guitar, being the mainstay on most, if not all tracks. The album in its entirety also is less progressive rock in all facets, and more like a mixture of Radiohead levels of alt rock, meets with light prog twiddlings here and there. Heck, the album does get a bit more proggy near the end with the big 18 minute epic of Parted Forever, which is a really nice song.

The best thing I can say about this album is, of course, Bruce's guitar work. He is not like Robert Fripp or Steven Wilson levels of greatness, but I definitely think he delivers really well here. He has a knack for energy and tempo, and he checks all the boxes for a great guitarist, creating these moving, and very vibrant melodies that never get tiring to listen to, no matter when or how.

I also like Nick's drummings here, as they mix quite well with the more alt rock focused textures, and they complement Bruce's guitars extra well in my opinion. Really nice stuff.

Though, there really isn't much that makes me want to return to this album all that much, aside from the two big songs of Private Paradise and Parted Forever, both of which are fantastic, as I said before. It is mainly because I feel like the more shorter, alt rock focused tracks here do not quite play into their strengths all that much, and they kinda feel a little cookie cutter to me. There is definitely nothing wrong with them, but they kinda feel average, with no big changes to the formula of 90s alt rock that bands like Muse or Radiohead have already perfected, with the only exception being No One Leaves This Earth and Everyone Must Perish, which feel like stuff from completely different bands than what The Pineapple Thief dishes out.

I also am not a fan of Mark Harris' bass. It is very quiet, and I never really notice it, mostly due to how muted it is compared to the very high quality volume levels of the guitar and drums. He feels like a missed potential to me.

Overall, Abducted At Birth is a great, but slightly bare bones release. It has its weak spots, I give it that, but I think overall it is a serviceable experience for some nice contemporary progressive rock that is akin to Porcupine Tree and Gazpacho. Give it a looksee if you are interested in what early Pineapple Thief may have.

The highlight and a song I will not tire of is "White Mist" an 11 minute piece that features the talents of guitarist David Torn who I am such a major fan of. I would like to know how this connection happened but man this song is on another level. The other two tracks that stood out this time were "Threatening War" which I find moving and the lyrics so thoughtful. And there's some harmonies here which were all over "Your Wilderness" and that helped make that album special. "Far Below" for the guitar and electric piano. Some calms I like especially the spacey one late. "Uncovering your Tracks" kept getting stuck in my head at work and it opens surprisingly dark with depth. "Try As I Might" has some attitude on the verses and melancholy on the chorus. The album ends with a beautiful balled called "Shed a Light" that has a couple of powerful sections in it.

I honestly thought this would be better, kind of like the new PORCUPINE TREE but I'm still happy to own both. There's so much great music on these albums but they just aren't as consistent as I'd like.

They thank ORK who they were touring with and I do like that band with former PT musician Colin Edwin on bass. They also thank the Hamburg police for escorting them out of downtown Hamburg. So we get 9 tracks worth 50 minutes with the first eight being from "Dissolution" and closing with "3000 Days" the name of their first compilation recording and a song from "Someone Here Is Missing". It's an interesting way to end it as it sounds different from the rest of the music. I mean it's fun and energetic and when it ends Bruce says "That was fun". There is some sad music on here like "Not Naming Any Names" and "Shed A Light" but we really get some attitude at times on this album with the vocal style and some outbreaks too of course.

Top three has to include "Threatening War" the second track which also starts out sad and I can relate Bruce to your words. When it kicks in and picks up at 1 1/2 minutes it creates a great contrast which continues throughout. "Far Below" has some power to it and even what sounds like mellotron. I like the vocal melodies and that sound starting before 2 1/2 minutes. A moving and powerful piece. By far the best track and one of PINEAPPLE THEIF's best is "White Mist" at over 10 minutes it could even be longer, it's so good. A gorgeous sound to it, I mean it couldn't be much better. I found "All That You've Got" interesting only because it is so catchy and they would go more in this direction with their nest album "Versions Of The Truth".

A very solid live record and for many "Dissolution" is their favourite album by this band so this is well worth getting for fans of the band. I still hold "Your Wilderness" up as their best studio record and "Where We Stood" as my favourite live record by this band.

And finally, we find what was the best album of the band up to that moment, surpassing all their previous attempts and finally reaching the level of quality that was already guessed in the three previous albums but that did not really materialize.

The album is not very progressive but it does offer us a dramatic, intense British indie-prog rock, with a very homogeneous quality in terms of composition, and it offered us classic songs that are still an essential part of the band's repertoire.

Fortunately, the group would continue to grow on successive albums until they reached the status they hold today, but "10 Stories Down" is a full-length with few flaws and without a doubt one of the best of their pre-Gavin Harrison era.

Highly recommended, especially for lovers of albums like "Lightbulb Sun" by Porcupine Tree or "A Fine Day to Exit" by Anathema!

Best Tracks: the first five songs are very good. After that, I especially like I Will Light Up Your eyes.

My Rating: ***

The first song is All You Need to Know. Right off the bat you hear the band's more progressive aspect in the mellotron, which distinctly sounds like one Genesis or King Crimson would use with some nice acoustic playing in the back. In the first few minutes you hear some great distinction in the melodies and instruments that you never really see in many bands, especially those that sort combine two styles from two completely different bands. I definitely think they really honed in on what really worked in this style of music and really made it their own, which they had been doing ever since their second release of 137, but here it is extremely present on how good they can be in this sort of style of progressive rock. It's a great song that is both fun in its music and instrumentation, but heavy in its more depressive lyrics.

Next up is Well, I Think That's What You Said? I'd say if the last song was a grand fusion of Radiohead and Porcupine Tree, then this song is more reliant on the Radiohead side. I am definitely getting a lot of Ok Computer and The Bends vibes from this song, lots of technically interesting playing going around here, but the singing is very in tune with that of Thom Yorke's, obviously a little less high pitched. To be honest this is a weaker song on this album due to how it sort of relies on that sound Radiohead did in the 80s and then stopped doing when the 2000s rolled in, but there is still a lot to love on this song, like the drumming. Keith Harrison doesn't utilize a 4/4 beat but rather a (I think) 9/8 beat, which really creates a sort of interesting aspect this song brings to the table, cause it's a bit more pop in nature, but is definitely clearly utilizing and creating something progressive, or alternative. Definitely an interesting song despite its weakness.

Then we get Take Me With You. Now I have been really hammering in the band comparisons to The Pineapple Thief, I mean how could I really not, the singer and guitarist Bruce Soord was inspired by Porcupine Tree for basically the entire history of this band, but likewise so was Steve Wilson with bands like King Crimson or more so, Pink Floyd, which man, this song has a ton of that chill rock Pink Floyd energy. I guess influential Prog bands that start with P have this effect of making really strong slow chill tracks. Anywho, this song has some amazing acoustic work. Very moody in the guitar that goes hand in hand to that very delicate but raw bass playing. This song is just a very amazing moody song that does get a tiny bit experimental to the end. Not too much as to where it basically flips the song on its head, but definitely one where it's a bit unexpected and sorta throws you through a loop.

Next on the track list is West Winds. This is an instrumental track that shows a more experimental side of the band. The use of instruments create this almost foreboding atmosphere in the music, like a hero realizing the villain has got the upper hand and is now losing a battle. That is sorta what this song feels like. A lot of intense drumming and guitar work, not to where it turns to metal, but think of it as a more post rocky type of heavy where you sorta feel it in your head and gut. I get some small Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Mogwai vibes from this song. It's nicely done and gives a lot more atmosphere to this album.

Next song is Deep Blue World. This is a mostly acoustic song with drumming only coming in towards the end. It's very elegant in how it is played. The acoustic and the singing really give off this somber vibe through the song. Plus the violin work makes this song almost gives this song a sort of old Prog vibe as well, like almost a I Talk To The Wind feel where it's super somber but also very pretty. I do however feel the drumming at the end was very unnecessary and just slapped on for filler really. Honestly this track would be so much better without that ending with the drums. I get leaving a track with an ending of sorts, but many acoustic songs, whether they are pop or alt, work well without drums since they aren't needed with drums most of the time, and if you are going for a beat, maybe make it a bit more tribal sounding like on Biko by Peter Gabriel. It's definitely a more minute thing, but the song would be so much without it that I gotta address it.

And now the last song, the big 27 minute epic. What Have We Sown? Despite being Prog, The Pineapple Thief isn't really a band known for their epics. They are more of the shorter song band where their shorter works stand out, as opposed to their longer ones. I am not saying they can't craft a long song, obviously they can, but when I think of The Pineapple Thief, I think more so on their single digit minute songs that are more 1-9 minutes long, as opposed to songs like this that take a whole side on a record. Besides that, this song is actually pretty nice. It goes more towards an industrial rock sound, as opposed to a more softer rock style, giving this song a more metal flair to it. You can tell some industrial rock groups they probably saw inspired a lot of this song, and I think it works well with the sound the band usually has, while being different enough to where it's distinct. But as I said before, they are not a band that relies off of epics like many modern Prog bands do, because this song doesn't really have that epic ending where you feel like you've just gone through a wild journey. It definitely does have something of an ending but even their shorter songs have more grand endings than this. Despite all of that, it's definitely worth your time and can be a fun song to hear once in a while if I am being perfectly honest. A good closer to a great album.

So while not perfect, this album definitely gives a ton of great songs to enjoy, and I never feel as if my time gets wasted whenever I hear this album. I'd say give this release and basically the entirety of The Pineapple Thief a shot if you like the styles of Porcupine Tree and Radiohead.

In addition, here we finally hear a more personal style, differentiating itself from its obvious influences given by Radiohead and Porcupine Tree.

Unfortunately, the fact that it is a double disc plays against it, since although it has absolutely brilliant songs, especially in its first part, there are also many filler songs on the second one, which is also much less progressive and not very interesting for fans of the genre.

However, for my taste it is the best release from the first stage of The Pineapple Thief before definitively establishing themselves as a band on their next album "10 Stories Down".

Recommended, without a doubt!

Best Tracks: We Subside (some beautiful guitars), Vapour Trails (long, slow-burn but yet emotional track), The Bitter Pill (wonderful vocal melodies), Part Zero (a track that can compete in quality with the best songs of his recent albums, and which is without a doubt the highlight on "Variations on a Dream". The guitar solo is absolutely amazing!), Remember Us (just like Vapour Trails, it's a song that reminds us of the first two albums of the long and intense band, with a very atmospheric and sad interlude)

My Rating: ***

However, he can be blamed for the shadow of Porcupine Tree and Radiohead being even longer here. Nevertheless, Soord's genius saves him from being a plagiarist with enough ideas to make the result fresh, interesting and diverse enough to support repeated plays.

It's a shame that "137" is such a forgotten piece of work, since songs like Doppler or the one that gives the album its title are compositions to remember. Too bad the number of filler songs doesn't let this "137" reach higher levels, despite being clearly better than its predecessor!

Best Tracks: Kid Chameleon (good work of synthesizers and guitars), Doppler (maybe the best song of the first stage of the group, a preview of what Soord would actually be capable to do in the future) and Pvs (another long track, with great keyboards at the beginning and very good guitars arrangements)

My Rating: ***

And the meteoric trajectory that he has taken with The Pineapple Thief in the last years is nothing but a confirmation of this fact. What began as a side project while he acted as a guitarist in Vulgar Unicorn, has become a band capable of extensive international tours and that counts among its ranks one of the best drummers of all time.

However, in "Abducted at Birth", as happened with Porcupine Tree in its beginnings, we have an album in which Soord acts as a one-man band, which, although it gives us really brilliant moments, still suffers from a lack of maturity and the weight that The Pineapple Thief currently possesses.

In any case, all fans of 90's British prog (especially Porcupine Tree) will surely enjoy this debut that, although it falls behind Soord's best works, is a remarkable one.

Best Tracks: Private Paradise (long but fun, and excellent guitar work towards the end), Drain (intense and with a great chorus) No One Leaves this Earth (good instrumental in the vein of Up the Downstairs) and Parted Forever (Soord proves here again that apart from being a talented songwriter, he is also a great guitar player)

My Rating: ***

The first two tracks "Versions Of The Truth" and "Break It All" opened and closed disc one of "Nothing But The Truth" and what a way to get the album rolling. "Break It All" is a top three in particular with Harrison impressing around 2 1/2 minutes. Some powerful music here. "Demons" is so uplifting at times as the sound drifts and the next one "Driving Like Maniacs" is a favourite of mine and I'm glad the live recording has them back to back as well.

"Leave Me Be" is pretty intense at times in a TPT manner. Check out the bass and organ after 3 minutes. "Our Mire" has this 80's sound to start before calming right down with vocals. So catchy when it picks up. Love the lyrics too. Uplifting stuff and a top three. Some emotion on "Out Of Line" with those vocals. Love that bass. Restrained with some beautiful guitar after a minute. A top three. I will admit the last two tracks are a little disappointing the album could have ended stronger than this.

Still fighting for this band in 2022 but I am really interested in what is coming next.

Perhaps one will find the strengths of this record in the band's impressive ability to keep things compact, yet fully expressive in terms of songwriting - the masterful duo of the talents of Bruce Soord and Gavin Harrison graces the sonic portrait of 'Dissolution' with a tender maturity that can be experienced from the very first seconds of the opening track 'Not Naming Any Names'; the strong use of acoustic instruments will go on to mark this album as a very sheltering one. Great songs follow one after another with the melodic 'Try as I Might' coming next, or the cerebrally touching 'Threatening War', a Bruce Soord classic, elevated majestically by the fabulous drumming, the acoustic touch and the soft keyboard soundscapes. The album goes on in the same spirit, giving off the impression that you are immersed in one big continuous piece of music, the coherence of 'Dissolution' is absolutely astonishing; the great production also helps, with the gracious warmth of every nuance of each instrument caressing the listener's ears. It is tracks like 'All That You've Got', 'Far Below', or the grandiose 'White Mist', the 11-minute epic at the end of the record that add up to the unprecedented experience of submerging into the sensitive world that this LP proposes, excellent and flawless from beginning to end.

Certainly one of the highlights of the year and of the decade, this album by The Pineapple Thief is a very melancholic, beautifully-written piece of contemporary art rock, showcasing the talents of a band capable of creating something minimalistic, yet gorgeously warm and welcoming - a really great effort by Bruce Soord and co. that will go down in history as one of the tiny gems of the genre.