NIL RECURRING

PT is a favorite of near everyone and I'm no exception. I think "Fear of a Blank Planet" is an incredible chunk of rock music, one of the finest in recent memory. And while "Nil Recurring" is good, and a nice addition to flesh out FoaBP, it is nonetheless an expensive extra that is "for the fans" which means a two-star rating. No one should buy this EP in place of FoaBP as it is not the complete, complex work that the Fear is. There is a nice twist on "Sentimental" dubbed "Normal", the fine space-instrumental title track, and two other average tracks. Generally speaking the music is along the same lines as Fear though not quite as arresting. The digipak design is quite nice with some great photographs of teens, though I've wondered how teens perceive the 40ish Wilson's presentation of them both visually and lyrically. I think the real question is: do any of the 4 tracks on NIL deserve to have been put in place of any track on Fear? I don't think so. I think "Sleep Together" is the weakest track on Fear, but in retrospect I wouldn't trade any of NIL for it. If these tracks were recorded at the same time as Fear then I credit Wilson for making exactly the right song selection for his masterful Blank Planet album. NIL is a nice cherry on the top for fans but it is hardly a necessity, and thus, two stars is appropriate. An essential EP could be worthy of more stars but NIL is not essential if one possesses Fear. How some can call this a stand-alone 5 star masterpiece is beyond my grasp. 4/10

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