ON THE SUNDAY OF LIFE...

On the Sunday of Life was released in 1992. This album is a compilation of material released on both Tarquin's Seaweed Farm and The Nostalgia Factory, though more polished. The major differentiator is that this was the first Porcupine Tree album to be released on a label.

On the Sunday of Life is unquestionably the weakest of Porcupine Tree's major releases. It's cosmic, psychedelic rock with proggy leanings, but there are a lot of lackluster moments. This 75-minute album is laden with brief, ambient interludes, and the longer works often get lost in their own weirdness. The music is sparse and simplistic; it sounds like something produced by one musician who isn't particularly confident in his instrumental skills. Many of the moments feel as if Steven Wilson is trying to be daring, but it comes off as muddled and dissonant.

That's not to say On the Sunday of Life doesn't have good music on it. "Radioactive Toy" was Porcupine Tree's first true classic. It's a haunting, slow-building piece that is well-served by its stark simplicity; and "Footprints" hints at this act's more sinister future tones. "Linton Samuel Dawson", despite Steven Wilson's helium-infused vocals, is a damn catchy bit of poppy psych rock that can't help but worm its way into your brain. "This Long Distance" feels like a bridge between dark '80s synthpop and more modern-sounding prog rock, with its soaring guitar line and plinking synth undercarriage.

Review originally posted here: theeliteextremophile.com/2019/11/24/deep-dive-porcupine-tree-steven-wilson/