CLOSURE/CONTINUATION

My final review of 2022 is a little bittersweet as PORCUPINE TREE are a top three band for me and after hearing that teaser track "Harridan" I was pretty pumped for this. Then there was a problem with the cd getting to North America, big delays. I was fortunate to meet a friend of my daughter's husband's family who just flew into Toronto from England that day and I joked if I knew she was coming I would have asked her to bring me this cd. Her mom was flying in the following week and that's how I got mine.

To my ears this sounds more like Steven Wilson solo which is fine by me but with Edwin out as bass player his subtle playing has been replaced by a very upfront sounding bass played by Wilson, and played like a guitar giving it a unique sound. I like it! We get seven tracks worth 48 minutes and it's "Rats Return" and "Walk The Plank" that keep this at 4 stars. The other five songs are great but those two just never clicked with me. My top three are "Harridan", "Dignity" and "Herd Culling" with the latter being my favourite. "Of The New Day" and "Chimera's Wreck" are very good but a step down from my top three.

Easily a 4 star record and a step up from the previous album "The Incident" which really had it's moments but was inconsistent in my opinion. Still I feel this record lacks that "it" vibe of earlier PT albums. The art work is disappointing to say the least especially when we get some pictures that would make most people reminisce and smile like that hole in one while on vacation at the mini-putt winning a free game or taking off the shoes to walk in the ocean for the first time. I feel that "Rats Return" and "Walk The Plank" just don't fit in with the rest of the album but other than those few complaints I'm quite happy with the music.