Grace For Drowning [CD]

Steven Wilson never does things by halves. And Grace For Drowning is no exception. With this being one of my most anticipated releases this year (along with Opeth's Heritage) I was hoping that it wouldn't disappoint, and I can happily say that it doesn't.

Broken up into two discrete albums, Grace for Drowning starts with the beautifully mellow title track which leads into the thumping instrumental Sectarian. It's a driving, energetic piece which shows it's roots in seventies Prog and also alludes to the more jazzier sections which will appear on the album later on. Sectarians leads into the 'title track' of the first album, which is Deform to Form a Star. Now this to me embodies everything that Steven Wilson is all about. A beautiful ballad, incredibly well constructed and performed. Lush harmonies make up the sublime chorus, and to me, one of the best songs on the entire record (sorry, showing my age there). No Part of Me is up next, and this feels a lot more laid back - a light and airy track laid on a bed of soft electronica which leads into a heavier closing section. If anything, this track highlights the level of diversity which appears on the album as a whole - it would be impossible to label this album, or to pigeon-hole it into any one category, as there are bits of everything in here - and that is a good thing believe me. As the glitchy electronica fades, the soft piano of Postcard kicks in - and again, another one of Wilson's masterstrokes. An impossibly sad song, which climaxes in strings and choirs - magical stuff. Raider Prelude is exactly what it says, a short instrumental piece which prepares the listener for the second album's centrepiece. A short number, but it doesn't need to much more than it is. The final track on "Deform" is Remainder the Black Dog - an unusually titled piece which drifts from Jazz to Rock and back again. This track feels darker than the rest and is a good closer, as it paves the way for disc two.

Like Dust I have Cleared from my Eye is the second disc of the album and opens with Belle De Jour, a pretty little instrumental which lightens the mood a little after the closing strains of Remainder, but the mood isn't lightened for long, as the listener is then taken into the dark side of Wilson's imagination with Index - a dark and brooding piece where Fender Rhodes and electronic beats are the foundation for some of Wilson's darkest words - this track swings from minimalistic to frenetic and the ending could be described as epic as it builds into a crescendo of strings and electronica. Immediately crashing down from Index, the listener is taken into the quiet Track One, which has a few twists and turns of it's own to offer. The opening notes of Raider II really set the scene - this is the centrepiece of the entire record, clocking in at over 23 minutes. This track has everything - dark and mysterious, wild, rocky, jazzy, slow, epic, electronic - all under one roof - it really is a special piece of music. If there was one track to showcase the wonderful musicianship which went into making this album, this would be it. Absolutely wonderful. The second disc closes with it's title track which is a melancholy ballad set over electric guitar, and fades out to the tones of a hammond organ.

This is wonderful listening experience. The whole offering takes the listener on a wild ride of ups and downs, and is everything that you would expect, and probably lots that you wouldn't expect from a Steven Wilson project. This is not Porcupine Tree, it's not Blackfield or No-Man - but you can hear their influences - this is Steven Wilson doing exactly what he wants without the constraints of anyone else, and the result is incredible. Buy it now, you won't be disappointed.

I am well impressed with this album. Steven has made remarkable things in the past but never as eclectic in style. If you like long musical passages with layers of sound, composed and produced with a great attention to detail, you will find it all here. I believe this album will appeal to a wide spectrum of fans, including those yet not familiar with Steven's great talent. There is something for rock, jazz and even classical music fans. I find the album more mature and in many ways better than his debut. It is hard to say if any of the songs can become potential classics, perhaps there are no hit songs, but the album seems to have good odds to become a classic as a whole. I rarely hear albums so elaborated, still interesting and enjoyable after a few careful listens. If you already are a Porcupine Tree/Steven Wilson's fan this album is simply a must. I could as easily recommend it to anyone with a taste for a high quality progressive rock, certainly too demanding to reach the so called mass audience. Thanks to Amazon for a quick download.

This album is long at about 80 minutes and has a wide range of musical styles on show from Jazzy to pop to Ambient and the very occasional jump into heavy. It is let me say not an easy listen but it is well worth the effort. SW always produces records that make you work but at the same time are in the mainstream is some ways. That is a feat that is hard to do. So did he do it here?
Well overall yes he has. The album is a change in direction without losing what makes his music so distinctive. This is not for the X Factor generation and will probably sell well to the Porcupine Tree fans but not hit the heights of the charts. That's a real shame because he has crafted a fine album.
There are shades of King Crimson (apparently he has been remixing some of their albums), and lots of jazz influences but the core of the album is fine song writing.
There lies the most important thing. The songs are good and the playing of them spectacular.

If you like a challenge and want to hear a great album then buy this. You won't regret it.