TO THE BONE

When we heard that Steven was making a Pop album, people were skeptical. Did he sell his soul to the devil? How can this artist that has a reputation to make some "serious Prog Music" can go in that direction? And then when we listen to the album we realized that he was probably already making music that contains some Pop in it, his Blackfield project is another example. What makes Steven Wilson a great composer is his talent to absorb all his past influences to create his own music. So, this album is not that different than it's previous solo album, sure it's less jazzy, experimental and metal, except for the longest track "Detonation" who has all the Wilson trademark."Pariah" is this gorgeous ballad brighten up by the voice of Ninet Hayeb and ending in an intense post-rock atmosphere. In the "Same Asylum Ase Before", he can go to a catchy chorus to a short Porcupine Tree heavy part.In the song"Refuge" the melody is developed slowly before the drums that remind me Manu Katché starts to bring the pace up to let the guitars and the harmonica take the lead in some intense playing. "Permanating" is the real Pop song of the album, enjoyable and placed carefully in the middle of the album to change the mood. "People who eat Darkness" could have been a Porcupine Tree song. "Song of I" show his influence for Kate Busch and Peter Gabriel but with some ambient soundscape, and with a little bit of middle-eastern music at the end. So, this is not a radical change in the solo career of Steven Wilson. I did find the similarity in his songwriting style with all his projects, and no he has not sold his soul to the devil, he is still the half-god half human we all know.

Nothing like a little controversy to draw some attention to yourself. Steven announces his new album and how it's in the poppier mode and well let the discussions begin, as they have. The album cover is so immature and I'm not sure of the reason for that other than it's more controversy. Lots to like though over the one hour of music here, and much of it sounds familiar reminding me of PORCUPINE TREE and past Wilson solo albums. It does feel like a re-hash of sorts but there's some new ideas here as well but unfortunately they don't save this album for me.

"To The Bone" opens with spoken female words giving us Steven's kool-aid. It suddenly turns powerful with plenty of atmosphere and harmonica too. It becomes more open sounding when the vocals arrive a minute in. It picks up as the vocals continue. Lots of beats in this one and an extended guitar solo during the instrumental section. It's okay. "Nowhere Now" has reserved vocals and piano before it turns powerful a minute in, then it picks up with vocals. Catchy stuff.

"Pariah" is easily my favourite thanks to Ninet Hayeb's gorgeous and moving vocals. And that's the thing with this song it really moves me. "The Same Asylum As Before" has these expressive guitar melodies and a beat as these really high pitched vocals from Steven arrive(haha). When he sings normally this song turns into something that's really good. Like something off of "Stupid Dream" or "Lightbulb Sun". I like when it turns powerful before 2 1/2 minutes. Back to the chorus 4 minutes in before kicking back hard late.

"Refuge" opens with piano and fragile vocals. There's those high pitched vocals Steven seems intent on doing on this album. Yikes! I like when it kicks into gear following this and check out the harmonica too. followed by a guitar solo. Reserved vocals and piano end it. "Permanating" is my least favourite song by far. A catchy beat with drums, piano and mono-toned vocals. When it kicks in Steven uses his newly found high voice. And this does not work here at all.

"Blank Tapes" is a short laid back piece that's pretty good. "People Who Eat Darkness" reminds me too much of "Arriving Somewhere But Not Here" once it kicks in after the "F" bomb in the intro. Yes this sounds amazing but it's too familiar. "Song Of I" has percussion and a dark mood as reserved vocals join in. An electronic vibe to this one, lots of atmosphere halfway through. Some ethreal female vocal melodies later.

"Detonation" is the longest track at almost 9 1/2 minutes but it's far from the best track. Electronics as relaxed vocals join in with plenty of atmosphere. It kicks in surprisingly hard before 2 1/2 minutes. The vocals return as it stays uptempo. Some nice guitar after 7 1/2 minutes during the catchy instrumental section. "Song Of Unborn" is the mellow closer in the Steven Wilson tradition and it's one of my favourites from the album. The chorus is beautiful with vocals, piano, a beat and atmosphere. It does turn more powerful which I really enjoy.

A good album but there's too many things that I don't enjoy to offer up that fourth star.

The last several years have seen British multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer extraordinaire Steven Wilson well and truly leave his Porcupine Tree past behind him and gradually hone a rewarding solo career that's been a mix of welcome experimentation and reliable expected moody alt-rock with lashings of both modern and retro-flavoured prog-rock. His last full studio album, 2015's `Hand. Cannot. Erase' delivered a mix of melodic tunes with experimental rock instrumentation that served as a good foot in the door for newcomers both young and older, so perhaps it was little surprise that Wilson might reign back his indulgences even that little bit more to capitalise on this fresh outside interest on a future recording. He's an artist that has managed to build great credibility and an elevated status but who can still fly under the radar just enough to allow himself to indulge in works like this, 2017's `To the Bone'.

Fuelled by THAT cover art, an early press release that proudly proclaimed the album as a pop work, a bouncy jangly pure-pop first single that had most of the prog-rock fans racing for the hills (and it's probably quite surprising that it wasn't a self-titled disc), `To The Bone' was instantly hit with the dreaded `sell out' tag and dismissed as career suicide. But careful and patient repeated listens reveal an album that has much merit, with plenty of the usual smart art-rock and blending of styles already associated with the artist...as well as some rather (slight!) disappointing surprises.

First issue to address: `To The Bone' is NOT a pop album, even if it has several more obviously poppy moments scattered throughout it. Nor is it so far removed from prog-rock as to be unrecognisable, and if anything many parts wouldn't have sounded out of place on mid-period `Stupid Dream/Lightbulb Sun'-era Porcupine Tree with their indie-rock crossover appeal. It's just that where his former bandmates (and even Wilson on his recent solo albums) would likely offering sublime instrumental passages, here Steven usually works in ambitious vocal arrangements of multi-part harmonies instead of show-boating soloing.

On to the disc - Steven and his frequent co-singer Ninet Tayeb open with the title track `To The Bone', a smouldering groover with plenty of ragged guitar soloing and a catchy lyrically defiant chorus, but for an album that many are ready to instantly dismiss as too straightforward or `pop', the piece also drifts into languid enveloping harmonies full of dreaminess in the climax that you sure wouldn't hear on the radio. `Nowhere Now' is just a great uptempo poppier tune that finds Steven in great spirits with a loved up and freed chorus. But the first `wow' moment of the disc has Steven teaming again with Ninet for `Pariah', a tender ballad that has already drawn comparisons to Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush's `Don't Give Up', and along with its weary yet supportive lyric, it also delivers a big bold emotionally charged finale that soars to the heavens with great poise and overall class.

The lyrically pessimistic `The Same Asylum As Before' is powered by punchy drumming and swampy grinding guitars burning around Steven's crooning falsetto, and there's a lovely laid-back interlude in the middle with lightly jazzy flavours to Steven's guitar bursts and some sparkling electric piano. Sure to be a favourite of many of his existing fans, `Refuge' is bookended with a low-key unhurried melancholic introspection and that sad beauty that Wilson has perfected to a fine art over the years, and some carefully executed dramatic lifts give the piece a weight and great tension. After wallowing in brooding contemplation, the `controversial' first single `Permanating' then proves a welcome respite, a buoyant and proudly peppy piano n' falsetto-powered pop burst that not only reveals Wilson's keen honing of strong melodic sensibilities, but is unashamedly comparable in parts to Electric Light Orchestra! Lighten up, people, and just enjoy a cool and (whisper it!) fun pop tune. `Blank Tapes' is then a fragile little ballad interlude of a pristine aching beauty and precious warmth.

Lyrically threatening and instrumentally brash (just listen to Steven's bouncing thick bass pounding away in parts, you'd swear it was Nick Beggs on this one - perhaps it was and there was a misprint in the CD booklet?!), `People Who Eat Darkness' is a relentlessly sleek indie-rocker that is bound to become a live favourite on the tour supporting this album. `Song Of I' is a darkly cool fusion of New Wave and eerie electronica that has Ninet and Steven swapping confessional lyrics over gloomy piano and maddening breathless orchestration.

The longest piece at just over nine minutes is `Detonation', and among its clipping electronic programming, delicate chiming guitars and Steven's purring words that are laced with spite and hostility, the instrumental second half slinks in and out of aggressive blasts, fiery near jazz-fusion-like runs and dreamy shimmering caresses - see, still much here for the snootiest of prog fans! Closer `Song Of Unborn' is a tender piano ballad with exquisite ethereal choir work that replaces gentle regret with reassuring optimism for its smart chorus, and it might not only be one of the most stirring finales to appear on a Wilson/Porcupine Tree disc, but one of his loveliest songs overall.

After all of that, there's little things that do let down `To the Bone' in a few surprising ways. While there's not a truly bad song to be found on the disc, much of what is included can perhaps be considered `reliable', with little that could be placed among Wilson's very best work, even if there's a few occasionally genuinely thrilling moments here and there. It's also a far cry from being the new direction or unexplored area of his sound that was hinted at in the press release, as it still sounds very much like a typical Wilson product, mood and lyrical theme wise. Honestly, the thought of Wilson writing a REAL pop album is more intriguing and daring than many parts of what was included here!

But `To the Bone' is still consistently enjoyable all the way through and can be especially appreciated as a less demanding background listen full of cool tunes and great playing that rarely gives in to instrumental self-indulgence. While it's not one of his best works, it achieves the enviable balance of being able to be enjoyed by existing fans of both his solo work and previous band, as well as being inviting to newcomers and non-prog rock fans (call them `muggles' if you like, prog snobs!), and it still showcases Wilson as an intelligent artist well deserving of his status in both the general music industry overall and as a modern progressive music icon of note.

Three and a half stars for just a great rock album.

I've often heard Wilson say in interviews that he feels with each album he releases that he loses fans, but gains new ones. Technically, this can't be correct, becuase his popularity has been steadily increasing for the past decade; however, the point is that his sound changes incrementally, alienating some but catching the ear of others.

You probably read that thinking that I'm going to talk about how To the Bone is a significant departure that will cause Wilson's prog base to abandon him--a departure which we'll look back to as the start of Wilson's commercial break-out. This is definitely not the case. To the Bone is not a pop album ... not even sort of kind of a pop album. But, it's not a prog album, at least not in the way that his early solo works were. To the Bone is exceptionally well inspired and very artistic rock music which I think will do the impossible: please prog fans AND attract new fans among people who don't obsess over the groups tucked away here on the archives.

Case in point ...

The other day I played the album while my fiancee (definitely not a prog fan), and I were lounging in the living room, each engaged in a different activity. The next day, she asked me to share To the Bone with her so she could listen to it again at work. Boom. Thank you Steven Wilson; you've done the impossible and not only pleased me (a prog snob whose 20's were pretty much defined by your music) and my soon to be wife (who thinks bands like Yes are just noise). Bravo.

Is To the Bone a masterwork? I don't think so--but its very close. But more importantly, it's approachable hooks, highly polished and emotive instrumental work, interesting and creative songwriting, and quietly optimistic lyrics make it a perfect entry point to the world of progressive (or at least artistic) music. Essential for Wilson fans, and highly recommended for everyone else.

Songwriting: 4 - Instrumental Performances: 4 - Lyrics/Vocals: 4 - Style/Emotion/Replay: 5

Steven Wilson Trying to Be a Pop Star and Failing but Making Good Music anyways

Steven Wilson is changing his artistic approach to music and re-thinking his role as a solo artist. More specifically, he wants the audience standing and dancing, he wants to reach mainstream success, and he wants to steer away from the progressive rock label. The album is fairly successful in a musical sense, but indicates a troubling change of direction for the artist, especially if you pay attention to his wants in interviews and speeches on stage. I fear his choices for his favorite tunes in the album, as they are among his most derivative songs of his solo career. The production of the album is also troubling, as if Steven Wilson wanted to make a tribute out of the 80s and eliminating complex percussion and some modern recording techniques. As far as reaching wide success, this album is a colossal failure and not surprisingly, given his sheer musical output experience and age, the general audience would not get drawn in by song knock offs from Peter Gabriel, Pink Floyd, ELO, or ABBA (some of the singles)

Before the overhyped album was released, there was a surprising number of tracks released to draw enthusiasm, and they were less impressive than what Wilson generally is capable of. 'Pariah' is very pretty but suffers from unimaginative lyrics, a grating volume imbalance in its ending, and sounds derivative from Peter Gabriel's 'Don't Give Up' structurally and sonically. 'The Same Asylum' sounds like a second rate Porcupine Tree tune trying to be catchy but does feature more involved instrumentation. 'Permanating' is legitimately catchy, though the influences are quite obvious and is awkwardly placed after single 'Refuge', which is somber, grander in scope, but borrows heavily from Pink Floyd and Peter Gabriel. 'Nowhere Now' has a more ambitious music video and is a pretty good pop song and overall one of the better singles here. The one single that really stood out for me is the electronic 'Song of I' - structurally progressive rock with a steady beat but always shifting music with no clear structutal pattern yet blended in with clearly mainstream modern features. It is experimental, creative, and very memorable.

Outside the singles, the remaining songs fare pretty well. 'To The Bone' is more of an earworm than any of the singles except maybe Permanating. 'People Who Eat Darkness' has an angry punk sound and carries the most energetic rhythms of the album. 'Detonation' has a sinister mood, syncopated synthesized bass, and a bizarre transition to an extended macabre dance song that takes a lot of listens to accept and enjoy - it really came to life when played live. 'Song of Unborn' is the other clear standout of the album with sparse, but progressively more symphonic music, some of his best lyrics of his career, with a massive but pleasant wall of sound in finale.

The music is overall successful and does show a different kind of musical maturity, mainly in restrained and melody writing. However, it is a troubling new direction that I feel is not sustainable as this approach can quickly get stale. Nervously anticipating what a new album would sound like, hopefully another new direction but involving a more flexible genre than pop. I also want to sit on stage - his music is not meant for standing!

For years, I was of the opinion that the quality of Steven Wilson's work largely died off after Porcupine Tree's breakup (or what we initially thought of as a hiatus). Sure, Grace for Drowning and, to a lesser extent The Raven Who Refused to Sing, had their moments of fantastic songwriting and craftsmanship. But the emphasis on making 1970s progressive rock throwbacks seemed to distance me from what made Wilson's work so distinct in the first place? that is, throwing progressive rock into more modern musical settings. Ever since the late 90s, alternative rock and pop influences became somewhat of a muse for Wilson as he explored the sonic landscape of each new Porcupine Tree album, generating a mixture of the accessible and experimental. And truly, the album that brought his "modern vs. traditional" approach back in full force was 2015's Hand. Cannot. Erase., which ranks among his finest albums from any project he's dipped his hand into (no pun intended). But, in all honesty, it's hard to know where to even place its successor To the Bone in regards to Wilson's other material. All I know is that it's both a great pop album and a great rock album.

This is Wilson's wholehearted dive into singer-songwriter waters, right down to the rather individualistic (even somewhat egocentric) nature of the artwork and rediscovering the "art of writing songs." As far as the songwriting goes, this is pretty much an art rock record with various layers of pop aesthetics. For those who have worried that this may be too much of a departure from his old work, fear not! It's still the same Steven Wilson we know and love (?), just approaching his craft from a less familiar point of view than usual. Basically, catchy hooks and big pop choruses are the new order of the day (at least more than usual for Wilson), and the longer and more experimental tracks have now become the exception to the regular songwriting patterns Wilson is expressing. But that art/prog element still rears its head once in a while. After all, we still have a 9-minute powerhouse of a track known as "Detonation" - a piece filled with varied dynamics and extended solo work - to look forward to near the end of the experience. This is directly followed by a gorgeous and subdued piano ballad with subtle rhythms and wispy choir, "Song of Unborn," proving that Wilson's penchant for melancholy and complex emotional baggage is still there in spades.

That said, it's not like the lyrics are exactly high art or anything. This is pretty typical of a Steven Wilson product anyway, and at least the words fit the context of a pop-driven record like this a bit more, but they're still pretty damn cringey from time to time. One could perhaps forgive the nonspecific joyousness of the peppy piano-pop number "Permeating," and the intimate love-oriented lyrics of the slow guitar-centric interlude "Blank Tapes" are nicely executed when Wilson and Ninet Tayeb sing them in a convincing duet. But yeah, that "I'm tired of Facebook" line from "Pariah" is pretty [%*!#]ing hard to give a pass. A shame, too, because "Pariah" still manages to be one of the album's highlights because of the beautiful acoustic balladry and post-rock climax that anchor such amateur lyricism. But, as far as I'm concerned, what really gives To the Bone its charm and beauty is that Wilson really sounded like he was enjoying himself on this one. Even in interviews surrounding the release, he seems more eager and excited than usual to put out this collection, and it shows when you get down to listening to the effort involved. I must admit that this is one of the first Wilson records that actually blindsided me because of some of the risks that he attempted. The best one? The ending of the power ballad "Refuge," in which jazzy piano chords and a harmonica solo collide in one of the most beautiful moments you'll hear this year. Also notable is the grungy hard rock banger "People Who Eat Darkness," which ends up sounding like Wilson's take on Foo Fighters (not that I'm complaining about that). And yes, some moments are a tad too familiar as well. "The Same Asylum as Before" suffers the most from this, sounding like a boring mix of Porcupine Tree's own "Prodigal" and something you'd hear from a mid-career album like Stupid Dream. But thankfully, this recycling is usually kept to a minimum.

Whether To the Bone will be considered among Steven Wilson's best material or not, it does seem like the necessary way to move forward in his career. Hearing his usual tropes and motifs so stripped down and emotionally charged like this can be breathtaking, even if the songwriting isn't always bringing his A-game. There have been a lot of jokes recently about calling Steven Wilson an "international popstar" and all that, but if he got that successful off an album like this, I wouldn't mind that at all. A pop/rock record this beautifully organic and well-crafted deserves to reach many ears, and Wilson should be proud of its many merits as one of 2017's most thoroughly enjoyable experiences.

A tremendous exercise in texture, accessibility, and sonic depth. This is probably one of the most accurate ways to describe Steven Wilson's 'To the Bone' - another achievement in his broad catalogue, and another turn in style.

Unpredictable as he is, there could be a logical reason why this album comes right after 'Hand. Cannot. Erase' and it sound the way it does. His unhidden interest in progressive pop music from the 80s and fascination with electronica, as well as multiple hints sprinkled across the Blackfield and Porcupine Tree discographies (like 'Lazarus' or 'Piano Lessons'), are all prerogatives that Steven Wilson will fully discover and develop this side of his musical journey.

And this is why listening to his records is so satisfying - one never knows what will come next. Also adding the production values that he is known for, whatever style he takes up, it is surely going to be a gripping listening experience. This is also the reason why he is more relevant today than ever - because he follows his desires, and does not fall inside the trap of his comfort zone, like many contemporary 'prog rock' artists do.

'To the Bone' is quite different from everything else coming before, yet it is very explicitly Steven Wilson. The opening title track, with the spoken word intro and the Floyd-ish guitars is what I consider to be one of his 'classics', in a way. Resonating and memorable, this is a typical SW track, full of flavor and profundity, commenting on how truth is being manipulated, and how it could be a reason for disruption. 'Nowhere Now' and 'Pariah' rely heavily on atmosphere, and are much lighter in nature.

'The Same Asylum As Before' is another criticism on the modern world's unchanging values, implying that whoever is in power, it's always the same, and it's not rosy! A strong guitar-centered track. 'Refuge' is a fantastic suspense-ridden song, 'Permanating' is one of his lovely, enjoyable pure pop moments, and 'Blank Tapes' is a short, more vocal track, based on the interplay between him and the wonderful Ninet Tayeb.

'People Who Eat Darkness', 'Song Of I' and 'Detonation' are for me the high point on the album - all very different but all very distinct entities of their own, surely among his most fascinating and rewarding compositions. Finishing off the album is the more ambient 'Song of Unborn', leaving the listener in a state of expectation and tranquility.

All in all, the fact that Steven Wilson undertook yet another twist only proves how much of a musical chameleon he is - following his own aspirations and impressions. These are signs of a true artists, somebody who is able to challenge both himself and his fanbase at any time.

Having spent 50 years on this planet, it is quite amazing that Wilson is still on an upward projectory in terms of his popularity. It's not as if the early days when he was in Porcupine Tree were bad. It's just in those days he created music that generally didn't appeal to the masses. Although there were some hints in the likes of "Stupid Dream" and "Deadwing", that maybe someday he would make albums that are more commercial and appeal more to the wider music public. He did this with his 4th solo album "Hand. Cannot. Erase" back in 2015. But even more so with "To the bone" which is his most successful album to date including side projects and Porcupine Tree, reaching No 2 in the UK charts in its first week on sale.

As the singles started being released before the album came out, it was easy to see why this album would be more successful. For the first single "Pariah", Wilson brought in Ninet Yaheb to share the vocals with. This is a nice build up song and Yahebs vocals are incredible and compliment Steven's vocals well. Wilson did an interview on the BBC at the time of releasing this album and they played this song off the album just as a clip. The presenter commented that there was no singing, only for Steven to correct her as the bit they picked out was the only bit that didn't have singing! It was funny and is probably still on You tube. But I don't think it was that song that really pushed this album to the fore. I think it was "Permanating" which Steven describes as his Abba moment. It is a piano driven song and really is so joyous and uplifting. Something which is not often associated with Wilson's music. I do wonder given the success of this album he would be more geared to do more songs like this in the future.

Although the album is littered with more rock singles, there are still quite a few songs on the album which would fit quite easily onto one of his earlier more proggy solo efforts. Notably "Song of I" and 9 minute track "Detonation". But the problem is while I liked quite a bit of the prog stuff he did with Porcupine Tree. I didn't really enjoy Wilson's earlier albums and thought they were patchy. These songs are in my opinion the weakest on the album. "Song of I" is a slow moving track. I don't mind slow moving tracks but if its going to be slow moving it needs to have impact. And I don't feel this song has that. Detonation for me shouldn't really be on the album and I think it was more put on to please the older fans of his music rather than it was actually suited to the album.

But the album is saved by the quality of those shorter songs. I say shorter but most are still in the 5 minute region. Particular highlights for me are "Same Asylum as Before" and album closer "Song of Unborn". "Same Asylum" has this great riff in it and I would say this is best rock out song on the album. And "Song of Unborn" is just a gentle mesmerising masterpiece of song. I definitively have not listened to a Steven Wilson solo track as much as I have this one. If you included Porcupine Tree as well there are probably are a few of their songs which I have listened to more. But I think you get the picture. Its a very laid back song and although slow moving this one does have then impact. A perfect way to finish an album.

Overall, although this is a really good album, I wouldn't say its great. There are more sing along songs than ever which I like and "Song of Unborn" for me is one of the best things he has ever done. In terms of his solo stuff I would also rank this as this best album he is ever done. But compared to some of the stuff he did with Porcupine Tree I would say this is just a wee bit lower down. Not by much though.

I still can't figure out how one of the brightest minds in progressive rock today released an album like To the Bone. Completely irrelevant, uninspired, and to top it all, overproduced!

In a way I can understand Steven Wilson's attempt to get out of his comfort zone. After three complex albums, very progressive and following a more or less homogeneous path, I understand that I would like to do something different.

But this collection of pop-rock songs with electronic glimpses leaves me very cold, except in some (rare) moments in which the genius that we all know that Steven Wilson carries within emerges.

A full-blown disappointment.

Best Tracks: Pariah (good vocal melodies), The Same Asylum as Before (although it contains a riff copied from the song Another Way by Savatage) and Detonation (intense instrumental interlude)

My Rating: **

Sure, Steven Wilson's To The Bone is pop - but Peter Gabriel made pop, Kate Bush made pop, Brian Eno and David Byrne made pop, even Robert Fripp has been known to dabble in the form from time to time.

To The Bone is very much an entry in the same tradition as the progressive pop/art rock output of such artists, and Wilson applies himself to the form adeptly. After all, hasn't he been in this sort of territory before? Late 1990s Porcupine Tree and No-Man have their pop aspects, after all. If all pop music were like this, then top 40 radio would be a much more pleasant experience - but really, the album more or less lands on the art rock side of the art rock/pop divide if it resides anywhere.

If you think Wilson has no business doing anything but putting out 20-minute long jazz-prog explorations like Raider II from Grace For Drowning (with perhaps some breaks allowed to remix a few classic 1970s prog albums), then sure, this isn't going to be for you. If, on the other hand, you enjoyed the lighter moments of Porcupine Tree - or, for that matter, the man's own solo career! - then this isn't going to be a shocking departure so much as it is a return to a corner of his creative garden he goes back to from time to time. The end result isn't earthshaking, but it is rather lovely.