BLACKFIELD

Blackfield is an odd marriage between our hero Steven Wilson and pop-icon Aviv Geffen. The result is surprisingly acceptable, certainly if you consider the kind of drab pop Aviv Geffen usually makes when he hasn't got a genius like Wilson around.

The title track, Glow and Cloudy Now are really strong emotional pop songs. Besides those, there are still plenty other memorable hooks and interesting melodies on offer but overall the album is too monotonous, with songs that are predictable and mellow, not to say cheesy. Basically it's well produced soft-pop without much stamina. I guess it wouldn't even show its teeth if you'd hit it with a stick.

This is nice music but far too mediocre and unchallenging to have any staying power in a proghead's cd-player. On the contrary, if this didn't have Wilson in the credits this album wouldn't be within a million miles of this site.

Blackfield, the album itself is no side-project at all.

It's an album that its entirety is full of greatly composed, inspiring and original songs. Full of poetic lyrics and melancholic melodies, it's a must-have addition to any kind of progressive- rock, metal or any related collection. The album makes its presence known, and I for one have not being able to put it down ever since it's been in my hands.

There is no doubt I would have enjoyed more of Aviv Geffen's vocals but all in all, I enjoyed it more than I would have expected.

Blackfield has brought us what others, at times, have lacked: Drive. And for that it deserves recognition in our community and an excellent rating of 4.5 out of 5.

This is an edit, as I think I wrote less than 100 words last time.

What I said is that I really liked this album, but only gave 3 stars because I don't really think it is really a prog album - although it has some spacey/ psychedelic undertones and is somewhat "arty". 3 stars means it's non-essential - and in a Prog collection that would be about right. However, it also means it's "good" - and I mean really good.

If you like the more psyche-poppy Steve Wilson songs you find on Porcupine Tree's "Stupid Dream" and "Lightbulb Sun" then you'll like this - it appears to be a good channel for SW to follow this more pop-psyche-rock tendency - which he is really good at (and that is not meant as an insult at all).

This offers lovely melodies throughout, and is something your girlfriend is more likely to like than Porcupine Tree (sorry no offence meant to all you Prog-chicks!!!)

My favourite is "My Gift of Silence" - this is a truly lovely song, actually the most like Porcupine Tree (whereas surprisingly "Christenings" which guests Richard Barbieri and Gavin Harrison - is not so much)

I'm aware that I shouldn't compare Blackfield with Porc Tree - and that's right it's meant to be a different project with a different sound - and SW has succeeded - it is different, and a nice alternative channel for admirers of his gentler and more melodious music.

Oh yes - Aviv Geffen - yes his songs are good too.

Recommended - but be warned if you are a prog-purist.

When I first listened to this CD I was truly impressed with the mood of the songs, the atmosphere and the vocals. Now I am not fully as satisfied as before. The album has an orginal sound, rythms and so on, but in strucure there isn't much prog over it, and the song tends much to the pop/rock genre. Mostly, they strictly follow the verse-chorus-verse-chorus order, all the songs are rather short, and there is not many solo or great instrumental parts. At the same time, you can't call any of the songs bad. The stenght of this album is clearly the atmosphere and the lyrics, while the main problem is that there is a lack of prog, I think this record really could have been mind blowing if the band would have added more instrumentals and variation to the songs. Moments like Scars, Open Mind and the intro of It's cloudy now, are simply wonderfull while songs like Hello and Summer feels a little bit repetative, despite their short lenght.

A good record, and strongly recommended for people who also like pop/rock music with good lyrics, but as a prog album, it needs some more developement.

Like the first Blackfield output, this is a good album (perhaps better than the first), but it nevertheless has no room getting high ratings on a progressive music site.

This release shows Wilson and Geffen expanding their collaboration, sounding like a couple of guys who actually worked together on a release. Geffen's contributions are more present and more well- developed. However, there really is nothing much new offered by Blackfield II. The melancholic atmospherism of earlier Blackfield tracks like Glow is mostly not around here. Instead, the music is built mostly on a singer/songwriter feel. Some of the parts are heavier than any on the first release, and the lyrics are even darker and more upset (a major feat, to be honest). However, like the first, this is just a collection of mostly mature pop, not really moving beyond the standard realm of short and simplistic tunes or even dabbling in the idea of a particular album cohesion. The sound is wonderful, as we've come to expect from Porcupine Tree's main man, but even still, no amount of clever production can turn average pop songs into high quality progressive music releases.

It all begins with Once, a track that delves in the heavier side of things for parts of its length. It is very similar to Open Mind off the first Blackfield. 1,000 People is a sad and lonely tune, in keeping with the album's theme. Miss U, complete with a very 90s title, is a whining and sad tune about missing somebody (big surprise, though I will be honest and admit that before I read the lyrics, I was hoping it would be about Mississippi University and not the obvious teenage drama it implies). Christenings is the first song really worth something on here, being one of Deadwing's myriad lost B-sides. An acoustic number with an upbeat vocal melody, it actually drags the album out of its mire of self-pity for a few (too few) minutes. It's followed by self loathing in the form of This Killer, another pop tune with little to stand out about it. Epidemic, however, is another of the three quality tracks here, beginning with a haunting little piano melody and building to a guitar solo and some powerful vocal harmonies. Unfortunately, to temper this onslaught of quality, the next three tracks explode with mediocre pop sounds. They aren't bad, just... normal, I suppose. The album closer is the strongest track here, with the two splitting up the verses between them and crying out in heartbreaking harmony for the chorus. The production, the sound, and the songwriting all line up wonderfully on this song, and this might just be a necessary listen for fans of Steven Wilson.

A par to sub-par album filled with mostly generic pop tunes, Blackfield II builds on the first with a few nice songs that rise above the rest, but even so, only serious fans of Porcupine Tree should bother checking this out as a prog release.

Hear me out. This is a great album if you're a big fan of Steven Wilson's music. However, to give it a high review on a progressive music web site seems a bit silly to me.

I'm not saying this album is not progressive. It's got the moments it needs to have. It has tunes that you wouldn't hear on the radio. All that good stuff. However, what it really comes down to is that this is mostly just a pop/rock album with some clever production and some intriguing melodies. Steven Wilson, the man behind Porcupine Tree, No-Man, and a bunch of other things, joined up with Israeli singer/songwriter Aviv Geffen. For what it's worth, these two sound great together as a duet. A fusion of Israeli and British musicians turn this band into something you would think sounds very unusual. However, most of the music sounds like Porcupine Tree, and not just because of Steven Wilson's voice. Rather, the input from Geffen is mostly just standard singer/songwriter fare, with angsty or slightly whining lyrics. It makes for a soothing, mellow, solid combo, but there really is nothing here that can be called very new or original. A good effort, but the songs are all mostly the same style and the songwriting nothing you haven't heard before if you've listened to Porcupine Tree.

It opens with Open Mind, a quiet track that goes heavy for a few seconds at the end of the chorus. Blackfield is an upbeat pop tune with some catchy vocal lines from Wilson. Glow is the first track of real progressive interest, being built on a haunting, melancholic atmosphere. Also, around halfway through, the music suddenly jumps into an energetic beat and Geffen shows us what his voice sounds like in the lead. This is one of the best and one of the most progressive tracks on this release. Scars is another pop tune with some cool synthesized strings. Lullaby was originally intended to be much longer, but for some reason became another short and sad pop tune. Pain is upbeat and unhappy. Summer is closer to Glow in style, with a lot of mood and atmosphere powering some pretty vocal harmonies. Cloudy Now is a more fascinating and straightforward tune, from the perspective of the very cynical Geffen. Near the end of the song, the music kicks in and the angsty lyrics explode with aggressive obscenity that fits pretty well. The Hole in Me is another average track with a good melody but not much depth. The album closer Hello is pretty haunting and sad, with a repetitive chorus that really sounds pretty heartbreaking.

If you really like Steven Wilson, I bet you'll like this. This is the accessible pop side of the man, without his usual trappings of psychedelia or metal. However, if you're unfamiliar with the fellow, instead you should jump into some of Porcupine Tree's major albums, as they're stronger, more progressive, and more creative on the whole.

It all started back when musician Aviv GEFFEN handed over the first demo for "Open Mind" to Steven WILSON in London. PORCUPINE TREE's front man embraced it right away, wrote the lyrics to it, did the proper arrangements, edited it at NO MAN'S LAND studio for the final mixes and thus, BLACKFIELD was brought to life. The project is quite unique, so harmlessly created that it doesn't intend to fit in some specific genre whatsoever, "it's only beautiful music" just like WILSON once declared to define the sound of BLACKFIELD. The self-titled debut album features a handful of eager Israeli musicians and a pack of well-known guest drummers such as Gavin HARRISON and Chris MAITLAND. The result was surprisingly convincing, this production is very fresh and audible, a true piece of work.

From the beginning you can perceive a very appealing fluidity in the lyrics and over the musical progression which is quite modest but no less impressive. The entireness of the album is based upon the spirit of straightforward rock that is wisely and continuously transformed in instrumentation to let musicians perform freely through a soulful feel of togetherness. As I pointed out before, there isn't a certain direction to where this music can land in terms of sorting out the genre but it's pretty much true that it leads us all to inner warps of appreciation.

When I first listened to BLACKFIELD, I worn out myself trying to find some relation with WILSON's signature when performing or writing some acid lyrics but here you won't find any of that. Instead, unrevealing but fearless lyrics will come to your ears through punchy and skin-crawling notes from the instruments we're all familiar with. One of the mere purposes is not to impress the listener out of first glance but to suck him right in the adventure of discovering new passages of understanding. And BLACKFIELD does it quite right.

All in all the album is solid rock, bold and so devouring. The songs are short, concise and never whimsical in elaboration. There are not musical passages full of virtuosity but powerful, honest notes. Tracks I'm fond of due its evident dedication and composition would be "Open Mind", "Blackfield", "Pain" and "Cloudy Now". Rest of the songs have a spirit of their own by never sounding off like any other in the total running time. "Blackfield" is a very refreshing album, full of pleasant surprises. It also features the red carpet to following production over one of the bonus tracks, "Where Is My Love?". If not entirely essential, I'm sure you could find a place for it within your collection.

Wrist-slitting time

Not the cheeriest CD ever released, with the subject matter ranging from "I wanna die" to "it's the end of the world". If it wasn't for the majestic melodies, this would have you reaching for the Joy Division CD's in a bid for a bit of light relief. This second release from Steven Wilson and Aviv Geffen is basically the shorter and more melodic side of Porcupine Tree ("Lazarus" from "Deadwing" would fit in nicely here) and it's certainly chock full of wonderful melodies from start to the afore-mentiond "End of the World". This is Steven Wilson reining in his prog tendencies a bit and going for the shorter songs, which would not sound out of place on mainstream radio. Give it a few listens and the hooks get into your brain and stay there. Featuring the distinctive Porcupine Tree harmonies and chord changes, this is perfect for those of you who prefer the shorter and simpler side of PT. Just don't expect any jokes.

OK, I confess..... I love Blackfield...... Again I am tempted to give 5 stars.....This is another beautiful and melodic addition to the mellow out section of my collection..... You won't hear anything heavy here....but if you like the more melodic songs from Porcupine Tree....or if you are sometimes in the mood for to slow it down a little....you will love this....

I really like this album a lot.... I was tempted to give 5 stars ..... This is like Porcupine Tree....but with a slower pace.....The songs are very melodic.....Not really prog here I guess....but Steven Wilson and Aviv Geffen have teamed up to gives us something different and not just your a average pop.... Highly recommended to all Porcupine Tree fans....