This album was due to be released last June. There should have been an arena tour throughout Europe to promote it – with his biggest production yet – but due to the pandemic it was not meant to be. When the first single dropped, Personal Shopper, all the so-called fans were up in arms about how poppy and un-Prog it was. A quick search on the majority of the haters, one would see they have only been interested in Mr. Wilson’s output since around the Raven period, and were oblivious to his previous output through his various projects. In the beginning, before SW solo or Porcupine Tree, there was No-Man – basically a indie/synth pop duo. Sound familiar? He has also mentioned in interviews, on numerous occasions, that he does not want to repeat himself from album to album, and wants each release to be different. Again, people are not paying attention!
Each of his solo albums have been different and have progressed with each release, the true definition of a progressive artist. There was always a nod to the previous release somewhere on each release. The reference point from the last album to this one would be Song Of I with the electronic pop feel. I’m not going to dissect each song, as that won’t achieve anything. I will say my two favourite songs are Eminent Sleaze, and Personal Shopper – with the hilarious inclusion of Elton John doing the spoken piece. I will say that this album should be heard as a whole – it makes a lot more sense if you do. It is a wonderfully crafted album that deserves your attention, albeit short at 39 minutes. The production is incredible, and if you buy the surround sound version, as well as a raft of extra tunes, there is a Dolby Atmos mix which even sounds incredible with the headphones on.
Is it his best release to date? Well, the short answer is no – as nothing could beat Hand Cannot Erase, but it’s up there as one of his best – it’s just a different listening experience. Buy this, don’t believe the haters.
9.5/10 from The Grooveman.
