GRACE FOR DROWNING

'Grace for Drowning', the second solo studio album by progressive rock champion Steven Wilson, was released in the autumn of 2011 on the progressive music label Kscope, as a double disc, clocking in at round eighty-three minutes of playtime. This very interesting album comes after Wilson had released his debut solo effort 'Insurgentes' some three years ago, an experimental rock record full of unusual sounds displaying his various eclectic influences, that somehow did not establish an aesthetic far too different from that of Porcupine Tree, who went on to release their final studio album the very next year, thus allowing Wilson to focus entirely on his personal musical desires and ideas.

In all this context, it also has to be mentioned that this album serves as a part of a trilogy that features Opeth's 'Heritage', released in 2011, as well, an album that has been met with mixed emotions, and Storm Corrosion's self-titled release, which is ultimately Wilson and Akerfeldt focusing on their more ethereal and aloof influences, creating a very elevated and picturesque collage of sonic explorations. And then there is 'Grace for Drowning', a record that is quite different from both albums comprising this trilogy of kind. Another important element that could help us decode the sound of this album has to be the fact that Wilson had been working on the early 70s King Crimson albums at that time, and that influence is seriously prevalent throughout the whole 80-minute album.

A very bold, artistic, and extravagant collection of songs and compositions, that sees Steven Wilson venture into the realm of jazz, fusion, and improvisation, with a wink towards the 70s jazz fusion scene, certainly reminding us not only of King Crimson, but also of Soft Machine, Mahavishnu Orchestra, and maybe even Herbie Hancock and Van der Graaf Generator. To make things even more impressive, Wilson is joined by a stellar lineup of musicians from the progressive rock and fusion scenes, some of which include Jordan Rudess, Pat Mastelotto, Theo Travis, Nick Beggs, Dave Kerzner, Marcus Reuter, Trey Gunn, Steve Hackett, and Tony Levin - this really has to be his first grandiose love letter for the music of the 70s that he is so fond of.

Mind-blowing arrangements, masterful songwriting, pretentious lyrics, and grandiose musicianship on several occasions - these are some of the aspects that this record possesses, alongside the strongly emotive atmosphere that Wilson always manages to create through his music, this record contains very avant-garde numbers like the instrumental 'Sectarian', the bombastic 'Remainder the Black Dog', the ethereal 'Track One', and the big 23-minute fusion suite 'Raider II', certainly of the best achievements for progressive rock in the decade of the 2010s, some very strong songs that still have that touch of Porcupine Tree, and yet sound nothing like the then-extinct band, including 'Deform to Form a Star', 'Postcard', 'Index', and 'Like Dust I Have Cleared From My Eye'.

Excellent from front to back, this is one of the top albums not only in Steven Wilson's catalogue but also of 21st century progressive music, with the British multi-instrumentalist showcasing his seamless ability to shift styles with each new record to some quite impressive results.