TO THE BONE

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.