RECORDINGS

I was lucky enough to have just gotten into Porcupine Tree when this album came out. Lucky because of it's low print run. Lucky because I feel it's the last album by the guys to contain superior prog/space rock. Two long songs almost bookcase this album of highmark B-sides. "Buying New Soul" with the Tree's patented soft to hard spaciness and "Even Less" which starts off with a child's laughter then Wilson's razor-sharp guitar kicks off the tune. Both songs are very well sung and make the album a must-have, especially for fans. A few songs drag it down a tad, "Access Denied" with it's Beatle-like sound and "Cure For Optimism" with it's ambient laidbackness. Things pick up with "Ambulance Chasing" which returns the spaciness instrumentally and "In Formaldehyde" with a bit of psych rock vocals and Wilson's dreamy guitar. All songs are enormously catchy with absolutely crystal clear sound. I would rank this album as high as the albums surrounding it. Very well done indeed!