SIGNIFY

Signify is the fourth album from Porcupine Tree and the first effort as a real band which I think shines through. The previous album The Sky Moves Sideways was also almost recorded as a real band effort though and did sound like that too. Signify is a step forward for Porcupine Tree IMO.

The songs are generally shorter and more structured than on previous releases from the band even though there are room for more improvised instrumental songs like Idiot prayer and Intermediate Jesus. The style is still psychadelic rock which owes a lot to seventies prog rockers like Pink Floyd. There are new directions in some of the songs though and I think the instrumental title track is the best examble of that. It borders heavy metal which is something Porcupine Tree would pursue later in their career but here we have the first examble of that in their style. Other good songs to me are The sleep of no dreaming, Waiting Phase one and Sever. I can´t say that I enjoy the more jam based instrumental songs that much and I would only call them good not excellent.

The musicianship is really good and as other´s have mentioned Chris Maitland is a really good and powerful drummer. I enjoy his playing very much on Signify.

The production is good but knowing what Steven Wilson did later on it only reaches good and not excellent.

Signify begins to show some of the elements I like about Porcupine Tree but unfortunately still has a lot of the things I don´t enjoy too much about them. I really like the more tightly structured songs while I dislike the jamming instrumental parts which seems to be going on forever and never reaching a climax. I think this is a 3 star album. Not the best album from Porcupine Tree but certainly not their worst either.