BLACKFIELD II

Intelligent Progp

A mix of No-Man and Porcupine Tree, Blackfield are, however, in no way a progressive rock act. They are in fact the producers a very well-put together pop/rock album with extremely inteligent composition and care put into the production. A 10 mid-sized song album formula that works well for anyone willing to hear pop with an alternative yet not adventurous aproach.

1. "Once": a gentle start turning into a rocker in the chorus. Lovely harmonies on the background, with Steven handling the lead vocals.

2. "1,000 People": great electronic keyboard riff, before the entry of the acoustic guitar driving this song. A slight crescendo in the chorus, sounding fantastic, with the orchestral background music. Music ends abrubtly into the next one...

3. "Miss U": ... which starts with guitar and Aviv handling the lead vocals for the first time. The tone is pretty much the same as the previous song, only heavier in the chorus. Plenty vocal effects throughout the tune. A nice guitar solo in the end, accompanied by piano as the song fades out.

4. "Christenings": probably the most Porcupine Tree-sounding song in the album. Features a spacey slide guitar with siding piano, typical Wilson stuff.

5. "This Killer": mostly acoustic track, that doesn't realy stand out from the others, even though it's still a very enjoyable listen.

6. "Epidemic": piano and vocal intro, a darker mood seting in this song. After a first chorus, electronics kicks in. The song gets a bit heavier and fast, but still the same dark feeling to it, mostly because of the vocals, which feature a tiny hint of despair. Electric guitar solo accompanied by vocal harmonies. A rather interesting female backing vocal towards the end.

7. "My Gift of Silence": again the same piano+guitar riff intro. A kind of No-Man tune with a bit more "edge".

8. "Some Day": hum, pretty much the same comment as above, minus the piano. Very mellow and melancholic tune, with a fantastic ending with heavier percussion, guitar and harmonies that fade out.

9. "Where is My Love?": a smaller piece among not very long tracks, with a heavier edge, but also a greater pop feeling to it.

10. "End of the World": drums and a really haunting piano riff opening, this is the song that will probably last longer in your memory after your first experience of the album. Great vocals by both Wilson and Geffen, culminating in the fantastic chorus, which is extremely poppy, but not in any way less gorgeous. The piano drives most of the song, up until the end of the second chorus, when Aviv delivers a stronger vocal performance and the music slightly raises, before fading out.

I've always considered making a good pop/rock album to be harder then a good progressive rock one, and if that realy is the case, then what an effort Aviv and Steven must have put into this! There are some songs stronger than others (Miss U, Christenings, Epidemic and End of the World being my favorites), but not a single weak song. In that matter, it is a better album than it's predecessor.

Now, I was never a sucker for lyrics. Vocals to me are just another part of the instrumentation (and yet I could never get into Magma or Sygur Ros - go figure). However, if you are the type that pays atention to lyrical content, I must warn you that this one is a wrist slasher.

This is definitly a song album, but it sounds very concise and flowy. The general tone is mellow and melancholic, but far from the kind that sends you to sleep. Slight downsises for me are Aviv's accent and the shortness of the album, which realy left me craving for more. It's just one of those things you know its not prog, or even very original, for that matter, but that you just put into your CD player and then have to wait weeks before getting it out. And that,to me, is the mark of good music, be it prog or any other kind.

More again, a fine collection of catchy crafted pop-rock tunes, in a very sentimental and melancholic vein. The celestial vocal harmonies, orchestral strings, mood and tempo variations create all together a very interesting listening, with all the details providing the class of the composition. Everything is correctely balanced, never sounding forced or excessively dramatic, creating a very good ambience. Lyrics seem to be very introspective, dealing with love, mainly failed relationships, but also evoking disturbed pasts or even humanity in its vast sence.

Every track has something to offer, since the soft/power contrast of the opener "Once", their heaviest sound, evoking Porcupine Tree's "Blackest Eyes"; the sweet "1,000 people"80's remmant of the 80's sound effects; the heartbreaking "Miss You" evoking New Order; or the Beatle's-like "Christenings" chorus. Tearing "This Killer" is perhaps the one which resembles more the sound of their first album. The stunning ballad is undoubtfully "My Gift of Silence", a very crafted nostalgic and sad tune, with very introspective lyrcs, constructed around several catchy intrumental details and the band's characteristic vocal harmonies. "Some Day" is in the genre of the previous one, also one of the best of the collection. "Where is my Love?" is another standout, with the constelation of the refrain backing vocals creating a stunning refrain. The album is ended marbelously with the memorable chorus of "End of the World", in the vein of David Bowie.

The Blackfield story continues.

Once again Steven Wilson and Aviv Geffen managed to deliver a fine, catchy progressive pop/rock album. Just like Blackfield self titled debut Blackfield II consists out of ten short, poppy rock songs with all great melodies. You could say that the catchy melodies is really what Blackfield is all about and what makes their albums really work. Sometimes they play heavier-edged songs, like the intro Once and Epidemic , and sometimes very delicate slow-paced tracks like for example 1.000 people and This Killer .

One distinction with their debut album is that on Blackfield II Aviv Geffen does more of the lead vocals, and he should, because he is a gifted singer and this makes the collaboration between the two stand out even more. The track Where Is My Love is not a new song as it was already available as one of the three bonus tracks on their debut. My personal favourite tracks at the moment would probably be My Gift of Silence and End of the World . Simply beautiful!

Conclusion; once again Blackfield manages to deliver another great record with 10 catchy, melodic pop/rock songs. For now Blackfield (I) is still my favourite of the II. Nevertheless 4 stars well deserved. (Probably closer to 4.5 though)

I am a proud member of an unofficial and unrecognized worldwide fraternity of people who revel in sad songs. To be a member one usually has to have experienced gut- wrenching heartbreak at some point in their life but it's not a prerequisite for enjoying Blackfield's music by any means. It's an irony of the cosmos that some of the most gorgeous art is borne out of tragedy as Wilson & Geffen so eloquently express here on "End of the World" when they sing "So many lies turned to songs/like roses who are hiding their thorns." In a nutshell, if you liked what these two immensely talented composers/musicians created on their debut then you will surely be pleased with this one.

The team of Steven and Aviv start things off with one of the best tunes on the album, "Once." It features an unconventionally accented rock pattern, dense guitars and soaring moments from The Downtown Session Orchestra (which will be employed extensively throughout most of these recordings). It's a powerful, driving statement by the singer who knows that no other woman will ever be able to compete with the lost love of his life. He openly tells his admirer "I want you to know/that I could let you go anytime" because "once she would hold me/she was my only/only to love." A lonesome piano melody and deep acoustic guitars lead you into "1000 People," a song that expresses how one can be worshipped and adored by fans but still feel empty and despairing on the inside. The singer admits that it doesn't make a lick of sense to most folks and that there's "no way to understand why I've become the way I am." But some of us know why. It's because he still carries the heartache that no one can see. The smooth blend of their two voices on the chorus is exceptional. "Miss U" is an upbeat tune with acoustic guitars, excellent orchestration and a very catchy refrain. It's about finding out that the embodiment of your pain has moved on and is now in a new romantic relationship but you are still trapped in the same dark place. "Your living another life/it cuts me like a knife/I hope you understand/I'm the one who's left behind," he cries. There's some tasteful piano accompaniment on the 2nd verse and Wilson's guitar lead during the fadeout is perfectly understated.

If there's a low point in the proceedings it's on "Christenings" which describes a chance encounter with a former MTV starlet who is now a homeless street person. It's very reminiscent of where Steven was at (musically speaking) when he recorded the pivotal "Stupid Dream" CD with Porcupine Tree. It's not a bad tune, but nothing really reaches out to touch your soul. Or maybe it's just that so many exemplary songs surround it. "This Killer" is a change of subject matter entirely. The 7/8 verses and dreamy, lush symphonic score create a paradoxical counterpoint for the creepy psychopathic warnings delivered by the protagonist in lines like "don't leave me in the dark/you think you know me well/it makes me laugh/'cos I don't know myself" and "stay inside your home/and hide away before I lose control." The next tune is another highlight. "Epidemic" starts out with just piano and vocal, then Tomer Z's drums kick in with the electric guitar on the 2nd verse before the intense middle section arrives with its big chorale and lavish orchestration. The singer tells you that time doesn't necessarily heal all wounds and, in the case of his broken heart, "don't say everything's OK/don't tell me that it's just a phase/it doesn't help me" and "an epidemic in my heart/takes hold and slowly poisons me/her will won't let me breathe/it comes in waves and bleeds me dry." If you've ever been there you know exactly what he's talking about. "My Gift of Silence" begins with a subtle verse, then the drummer joins in for the beautiful chorus backed once again by the rich symphonic strings (all of which were arranged brilliantly by Geffen). In this tune he's telling his former lover not to feel guilty for leaving him when she sees what a wreck he's become (possibly because it's his own fault that she took off). "Don't blame yourself/don't change yourself/I just wanna be over, you see/and feel numb/don't hate yourself," he pleads.

A 12-string acoustic starts "Someday," a lyrically intriguing song that seems to say that if you felt like an outcast as a child you will most likely still feel the same later on in life even if you grow up to be attractive and desired. It's a devastating realization to find out "no one cares/about that f**king pretty face you have/it means nothing much this life/so find the highest cliff and dive." While the words aren't particularly uplifting, when the drumbeat comes in and the tune fills out musically it sorta counteracts the dismal message. "Where Is My Love" appeared as a bonus track on the debut but it sounded thin like a demo. Here it gets the star treatment it deserves. It's a great tune about disorienting bewilderment over being abandoned by love. Wilson's chiming, wall-of-sound guitars along with the towering orchestration create a cavernous aura. The vocal describes how painful memories can just pop into your consciousness at unexpected times. "The freezing moment when you turned your head and waved goodbye" and "endless fields of emptiness in my dark and wounded heart" are images that speak volumes. If you're ready to stick your head in the oven at this point you might want to skip the finale but you'd also be depriving yourself of another one of the best songs on the CD. "End of the World" has a slow blues rhythm with Wilson and Geffen singing in an octave of each other on the verses and the supremely elegant choruses. They tell of feeling overwhelmed by the human-inflicted horrors of our modern world, resulting in deep depression and demeaning cynicism. "In your room doing nothing/but staring at flickering screens/streets are empty/but still you can hear/joy of children turned into tears," they lament. The tune builds to a crescendo, then the vocals become angry and intense as they shout over dynamic breaks in the music that it's no wonder we seek escape through pill-induced sleep "without nightmares/without any dreams" and request that "If you wake up in hell or in heaven/tell the angels we're here/waiting below for a dream/here in the garden of sin." Statements brutally stark but ever so powerful.

I'm sure my admiration for this album is quite evident and if I described every time that the guitars, keyboards and drums excelled and the sublime orchestration inspired I'd have long since become nothing more than a broken record. I've read where some reviewers have labeled these songs as being "pop." That's dog dookie. Timberlake and Stefani are "pop," my friends, not Blackfield. The tunes on this album have much more in common with progressive rock than with contemporary radio ditties and there's no one making music any better or more meaningful than Steven and Aviv right now. And, while I don't believe it's as emotionally fluent as their phenomenal first album, I still can't give it less than my highest rating.

Blackfield - Blackfield II

The follow-up to 2004's "Blackfield" was one of my anticipated releases of 2007. And just as with the debut album of this collaboration between PORCUPINE TREE's Steven Wilson and Israeli singer Aviv Geffen, this one took some time to take in, before I really started enjoying the songs.

When I first listened to the album it left me neither warm nor cold, I felt a bit indifferent... but I felt exactly the same with "Blackfield". And that's one of my favourite albums nowadays, so that's promising for starters..

So what type of music do the songs on "Blackfield 2" comprise? Well, the answer is quite simple: exactly the type of tunes that we came to expect from this band via their debut album. This means you get to hear 40 minutes of well-written poprock, albeit a bit more experimental than the average poprock artist. Whereas the songs on the debut album were more or less resembling the more mellow side of "Stupid Dream"-era PORCUPINE TREE soundwise, here the songs are more dynamic. There's even a true proggy track included with the like of Epidemic!

Overal this is a nice mellow, but dynamic rock album, that's not overly complex, but well crafted and definitely one of the most accessible albums from the new batch of releases. The music consists of lots of layers, but not as many as on an average Porcupine Tree track. What's typically Blackfield is the use of lots of strings as instruments to create this nice and breathing background.

The overall feeling I get when listening is that it's not as dark and depressing (overstatement!) as the average PORCUPINE TREE album, but there's still this nice overall melancholic mood, which I personally really like.

Quite a nice way to start his new year of releases!

The first BLACKFIELD seemed to be a good filler between two most anticipated PT albums. Good Pop-Rock songs, especially "Hello", "Pain" and the name-sake one. When last year I heard that Aviv/Steve plan to continue their collaboration, I thought: "Please. no, leave it as an experiment..."

But here we go again. The same way melancholic and introvert Pop-Rock with some PTish moments, but I don't think we should mention any other bands when it comes to BLACKFIELD. They are already have sound of their own, and all you can do is to love it or hate it. I've chosen the third road - I chose it as a background music. To be honest, this is the only positive thing "II" can offer me. Pale and weak even in compareness to debut, it has not much to enjoy. And leave alone Prog or "I-want-to-be-challenged" attitude, I'm talking about music itself!

No bashing here - I just didn't like it. If you liked the first one (like I actually did - it was good but non-essential in fact), you may try this one...if not you'd better abstain from spending your money on another Pop-Rock CD.

I finally got myself a copy of one of Porcupine Tree's Steven Wilson's many side- projects: Blackfield, a musical venture he shares with Israeli talent Aviv Geffen. I never really put any attention to anything Wilson has done outside his main creation, but after having listened to the second album by this talented team, I'm pretty sure I'll start researching more and more about his projects.

This is Blackfield's second album (as the name so obviously implies) and I have to say that I still haven't heard the first one, so I won't even try to make any comparison or talk about how this opus fits in the band's catalogue. I will, nevertheless, share a few words about how I view II and what it did for me.

The music that Wilson and Geffen present to us isn't really too close to what we call progressive-rock. I would say this music has some prog elements (the use of keys and other instruments, the intelligent structures and melodies) but, as a whole, lies somewhere in between the border of hard-rock and pure and simple rock-pop. The songs are short, usually with no long instrumental parts, and the harmonies and rhythms are nothing your average rock listener wouldn't tolerate or understand.

What is clear is that Blackfield puts a strong emphasis in melody. Every song in the album has at least one beautiful tune within, and often times the choruses are easy to sing along. The music tends to be quite sad, too. Take a little bit of Porcupine Tree's music (mostly STUPID DREAM), add some British-pop in the blender (much a la Coldplay), add the narcotic voice of Steven Wilson and the raspy, very calmed voice of Geffen (who sounds a lot like Spock's Beard Nick D' Virgilio at his most pop), with lots of piano under atmospheric keyboards and guitar chords, many doubled choruses, round it up with an extra dose of melancholy and nostalgia, and you got the right recipe for getting an idea of how Blackfield's music sounds like.

Once (8/10) A very light rock-pop song, not overly sad. The pre-chorus section reminds us of Porcupine Tree's music. In the chorus Geffen's voice sounds very much like D'Virgilio's.

1,000 People (8.5/10) Some spacey chords over nostalgic piano notes, soft electronic percussion and acoustic guitar. The chorus is atmospheric, spacey. A sad song.

Miss U (9/10) One of the highlights. It starts with more energy than the preceding track, but soon Geffen's strongly-accented voice soothes us into peace. The chorus with distorted, distant vocals is full of melancholy. This speaks of loneliness. Of longing. Great song.

Christenings (8/10) The start of this one will take you immediately back to the STUPID DREAM era of Porcupine Tree. Wilson's narcotic voice really can make any chords sound deeper than what they are. When Geffen joins him in the chorus, the song loses a little of spark.

This Killer (7.5/10) How sad the star of this song is! The main verse It reminds me of "Adhesive", a STP song from a few years ago. The track then loses its inspiration and wobbles aimlessly, becoming repetitive. Is short so it's not bad.

Epidemic (8.5/10) A quite atmospheric, desperate love song. Only piano and vocals at the star, then the drums come and a heavy guitar riff plays over the same piano figure which relentlessly saves this song from banality. I'd preferred a slow song all the way, but it's still a good track, and near the end the fast tempo actually enhances the song. The guitar solo section at the end re-invigorates the music and turns "Epidemic" into a success.

My Gift of Silence (9.5/10) The start is magnificent. Just a soft guitar figure, incredibly sad piano notes, nothing else. Wilson's voice, which can be many things except happy or shiny, adds to the depressive mood. But it's just a love song of sorts, and we have to love it, too. The idea of the energy of the heart pumping without the man being able to stop it lurks into our minds. What's the point of everything if loneliness is your only companion for the rest of your life? Fantastic track and close to perfection.

Some Day (9/10) The melancholy continues. An outcast, an ignored boy turned into an ignored man. The words that tell you that someday everything will be better. And musically, it feels that way, for whereas the first part is as sad as it gets, the chorus- like section is much more inviting to hope. But, in the end, we sense that the true feeling behind this is the one of complete hopelessness. Those words of patience and optimism were just attempts to drive the man out of the suicidal path, a path that he started traveling long, long ago. Great song.

Where is My Love? (7.5/10) One of the shortest tracks in the album, and one of the poppiest and simplest, too. A little repetitive, yet never boring, for its length is the appropriate one. And even this up-tempo song sends signals of sadness and blue feelings.

End of the World (10/10) At last a superb perfect song. We've been waiting for Blackfield to take out the mask (that was not fooling anybody) of hope and optimism, and for them to finally embrace and acknowledge that everything's lost, there's no chance, sorrow and pain and grief are the natural state of things, happiness is nothing but a neuro-induced dream that it's injected on us so we can produce more and bred with less danger of our heirs becoming even more somber than ourselves, thus preserving the race for utter annihilation. The end of the world is here. And this magnificent ultra-sad track closes the album in perfect fashion and drives Blackfield's II music home: it belongs in the pantheon for the lost souls, under dark, not in sunlight.

A very, very good album. Not incredibly prog at times, but, not curiously, incredibly good at others. A varied record, but wherein the overall mood is that of nostalgia, sadness and pain. By any means, all of them the ingredients of art.

Recommended for: Fans of Porcupine Tree (specially STUPID DREAM era); fans of brit- pop-rock with a taste for unhappy creatures; fans of good music that don't need their rock to be "over-progressive" all the time.

Not recommended for: People who dislike soft, quiet, sad, gloomy music; fans of prog- rock that need incredible amounts of prog in each release. And, most of all, people that only take their music if it makes them smile.

.this will make you smile, for the quality. And for the irony of your sorry meaningless lonely life.

Did you like "Blackfield"? Well, if you did then I can guarantee you'll like "Blackfield 2". It has just as much beautifully melancholy art-pop as its predecessor and might actually be better. "Once" is more exciting than anything on part 1, while the rest of the album is consistent and tight, with all the musicians offering fine performances and the vocals projecting soulful emotion with every utterance. The inclusion of additional instrumentation adds another layer of beauty to the duo's work.

Did you hate "Blackfield"? Then you'll hate "Blackfield 2" even more! It is another example of boring songwriting and bland art-pop performances driven entirely by contrived soft vocals uninspired lyrics. "Blackfield 2" makes for great background music and little else, so long as one can ignore Aviv Geffin's lead singing.

In all seriousness, I feel that the Blackfield experiment has said about all it needed to say with their first release. To their credit, the duo has incorporated a few new elements to these songs, but it's not enough to cross boundaries and win over fans who didn't enjoy the first album. I hope SW has got the pop bug out of his system, and that Geffin hasn't rubbed off on his other projects.

Songwriting: 2 Instrumental Performances: 3 Lyrics/Vocals: 3 Style/Emotion/Replay: 2

My first impressions of this album were not very positive. It sounded to me like a lot of similar sounding, melancholic pop tunes. Well, after many listens my opinion thankfully has changed. I say thankfully because i'm one of Steven Wilson's biggest fans. It seems to me that Mr.Wilson has an even bigger role on this album when compared to the first one. And i'm so glad that he sings lead on almost every song, I don't know what it is about Steven's vocals but they are amazing. There is an emotional element to this music that I didn't detect right away, but it's there on a lot of these songs.

"Once" really sounds different from all the others.The tribal-like drumming with the explosion of guitars and drums. There is orchestration not only on this song but on pretty much all the songs. "1000 People" has this slow paced beat with some orchestration and guitar. There is a spacey feel to this one. "Miss U" is the only song Aviv sings lead on. I like the relaxing guitar solo to end the song. "Christenings" is my second favourite song on this record. Probably because there is a PORCUPINE TREE sound to it with strummed guitar and piano. "This Killer" is a beautiful, mellow song with orchestration and guitar.

"Epidemic" features some good guitar 3 minutes in, on a song that is a good indicator of the sound you will get from this album. "My Gift of Silence" opens with vocals and piano as drums follow. More orchestration as well. "Some Day" is my favourite song. It opens with vocals and acoustic guitar. More orchestration. Steven's vocals on the chorus are a highlight for me on this album. It really sounds like mellotron on this one just before the song picks up the pace. This one has some emotional lyrics. "Where Is My Love" is a song I have on the first BLACKFIELD album and it bothered me a little to hear it was on this one too, although it is a great tune. "End Of The World" has dual vocals with piano and orchestration. Aviv was responsible for the orchestration on this record,so he certainly had his hands full with that.

I still prefer the first one more probably because it sounds more like PORCUPINE TREE than this one does. This one just seems to get better the more I play it.

3.3 Stars

A good collection of depressing rock/pop songs with Porcupine Tree influences. Well, that is obvious since Steven Wilson is one of the main musicians in this album, and sings all over the place. These influences I'm talking about is the mellotron, the symphonic feel, and generally several songwriting aspects. However, this is not really another Porcupine Tree album. While the band is clearly an influence here, the music is generally stripped down and sounds more accessible and commercial.

The opener Once shows what I'm trying to say, with a definitive Porcupine sound mixed with a modern pop/rock atmosphere. 1,000 People and Miss U might have the singing style and vocals from Porcupine Tree but the strings arrangements and simpler instrumentation sets them apart from UK's premier art rock band. On the other hand, Christenings with its slide guitar and piano recalls Porcupine Tree's Stupid Dream era and could be put into that album without it being out of place. Epidemic starts with a dull piano riff which dominates the verses, but luckily the choruses are catchy enough to save this song from mediocrity. My Gift of Silence is a very good melancholic song. I love how it starts with a simplistic guitar line, depressing piano and Wilson's voice and develops into a sorrowful tune with beautiful arrangements and melodies, and Some Day continues that mood. The End of the World is really the anthem of depression and giving up. A perfectly-produced mid-tempo ballad with unforgettable choruses. The instrumentation is depressingly beautiful and the melodies are of the highest quality.

This is a nice album if you tend to enjoy straight-forward depressing rock/pop and/or are at least a casual fan of Porcupine Tree. I don't strongly recommend it, unless you are a serious fan of Porcupine Tree and the debut of Blackfield (which I haven't heard, but it seems to be of similar quality based on reviews)

1. Once (B-) 2. 1,000 People (B-) 3. Miss U (C+) 4. Christenings (C+) 5. This Killer (C) 6. Epidemic (C) 7. My Gift of Silence (B+) 8. Some Day (C+) 9. Where is My Love? (C-) 10. End of the World (A)

Bonjour Tristesse! Blackflield continues on its melancholic path, sharpening the focus of their accessible prog-pop: Nothing like good old fashioned sadness to convey the deepest cut, the wounded heart and the slashed soul. When people judge this as moodily depressive, it only confirms that most forms of musical expression are deeply rooted in suffering and pain: Classical operas and more specifically the entire Russian classical music scene, American blues, punk-rock, Portuguese Fado, Gypsy music, Flamenco and many more.This second chapter in the Wilson-Geffen collaboration, recorded in Great Britain and Israel, features almost all vocals performed by the talented Englishman , even though most songs are in fact written by Aviv . The lyrics are quite bleak, dealing with highly advanced states of heartbreak, skirting very near self-murder ("I wanna die"). Kind of odd and rebellious for a citizen of a society where the powerful religious branches severely frown on suicide, viewed as a cowardly affront to God ("Only he has the right to take the life that he has given") and an almost taboo subject even today. That is why this project must clearly bear the stamp of progressive, as it dares to go beyond the usual fantasy-laden platitudes, address the contemporary ills of our time and perhaps tone down the swirling Hammond runs, the bubbling synths and the groove laden instrumental excursions. Make room for the ghosts of tortured love, with all its exhilarating highs and dizzying lows! The arrangements are sparse, rather uncomplex rhythms, all slaves to the 359 degree melody hooks that adorn each piece. Other reviewers have previously autopsied the tracks, requiring little more added info. There are some overt Beatles influences with some "awfully" pretty moments, long-term adhesives to the cerebral music library, such as the mellotron-synth lilt of "1000 People", the anthemic flippant angst of "Miss U" with its short fade-out guitar solo, the dark "he likes me when I'm down" perfidy of "This Killer", the dirge-like" my heart is open" futility of "Epidemic", the abject surrender extolled in "The Gift of Silence", the seductively repetitive bewilderment of "Where is my Love?" and the inexorable arrival in the "Garden of Sin", the sad finale of a somewhat hopeless life , with a simply gorgeous 6 note piano motif , repeated ad infinitum and played on the altar of "The End of The World". Ending (sic) an album on such a genius song is where the proof of utter quality lies. It didn't hit me right away and I needed to adjust but the romantic nerve was easy to pinch and I have fallen victim to its "Spleen" (Fans of Baudelaire will understand) 4.5 open wounds

If you want me to take a break, I'll take this album!

Oh yeah. it's time to write a review because by now I think I have spun the CD (including those ripped into my iPod) more than ten times. It's such a pleasure enjoying this album and it serves as a break from day-to-day prog listening. Imagine yourself enjoying Isildur's Bane or Thinking Plague or Somnambulist and your mind feels like "dark" and complex, I think it's about time for you to have a try of this album. It's so nice. The music is quite simple and there is nothing that you need to think whenever you spin this CD. In fact, having listened to this CD many times, it stimulated me to write some words that I post last week on the forum. It says something like this:

I Wish .

This morning, I spun Blackfield II CD / The music is so simple / There is nothing complex / Everything moves smoothly / Nothing distracts me at all, musically / The melody is nice, even though not that catchy / The soundscape. oh yeah! This is THE KEY of this album / Steven Wilson is the master of soundscape / The lyrics are so dark / I sip my kopi tubruk/ while lstening to the music.. and read Edward Macan's book . ROCKING THE CLASSICS!

Oh I wish .. I am a musician ./ How come I am not a musician? / It was the story of the past / I did NOT dare to challenge the "status quo" / I just followed what others did / Study very hard, find the best school / Oh yeah .. I got it! / But .. it does not answer my question . / Why am I not a musician?/ I wish .

........

Let's face it, Gatot! / Don't do any daydream / You are not gifted as musician / You have to enjoy and thankful on what you do now! / What do I do? / Listen to the music / Find all subtleties embedded in the music / Write what "I feel" about the music / Remember .. Music IS emotion / Appreciate the music / What A GREAT LIFE!!!! / Thanks God .! / I choose to be thankful on what I do now / Even though . / I wish I was a musician . (rock music)..

That has proved the music contained in this CD is very emotional and touches my mind and my heart and at the same time triggers me to do something. I have to agree that all lyrics are very dark, the music is simple but powerful.

Is this pop?

Like its previous debut, all 10 songs featured here are structurally straight forward composition and there is a very strong influence from Porcupine Tree music. Major difference with Porcupine Tree is that there is no such thing as curved line here, everything moves simply in one direction and there is no variations in terms of style in typical song. It's just intro-body-chorus-body kind of structure. So, you might call it a pop song. I don't think this is a pure pop song because the music has something more to offer. What is that? The soundscape man! Please spin this CD during midnight in your private listening room, play it very (very!) loud and you will get all the subtleties produced by this album. Fabulous! Observe how the piano is played in floating style, the string section at the back, the bass, midrange and treble, and how Steven Wilson sings. Oh man .. I bet you will love this album regardless you are a die hard prog rock fan or just a pop music fan - it does serve all tastes!!!

The music itself is dominated by Steven Wilson and I will assure those of you who like the music of Porcupine Tree will enjoy this album to the fullest. The vocal department is also heavily dominated by Steven Wilson. In fact, I haven't seen any song that demonstrates Aviv Geffen vocal quality even though there is one song where the lead vocal is by Geffen, ie: "Miss U". At a glance I never thought that this song is sung by Geffen as it sounds like the same with other songs, vocally. So when I read the CD inlay I found that this is sung by him.

The more I spin this CD, the more I like it and there is a need to re-spin the CD, which I did it sometimes. The more spin, the more I know the flow of songs and it infuses slowly into my mind and it's just like telling me a flow of a concept album with inter-related songs. Take an example of opening track "Once" (4:03) which has an upbeat style and good drumwork, followed with mellow-spacey "1,000 People" and going back to upbeat "Miss U". The next is the expected hit "Christening". Wow! What a great flow of songs.

My best favorite track from this album is the end track "End of The World" even though I love all tracks. The last track has everything that fulfills my needs in terms of melody, structure and soundscape. The music has a very strong Pink Floyd influence but in relatively straightforward structure. The lyrics are very captivating : Don't you forget what I've told you / So many years / We are hopeless and slaves to our fears / We're an accident called human beings .. Oh what a great opening. The music flows beautifully through good lyrical passages. I cannot afford not to replay this song whenever it finishes. It's really a masterpiece! But, there is no such this as mediocre track in this album - all of them are excellent. I also love "Someday" especially when Wilson sings the "f" word - so nice, vocally man!

Conclusion

Do I need to conclude? Especially with the above long write-up which admires this album? Well, you can draw the line by yourself then. I am sorry for being too emotional with this review because I cannot help it. This album is damn excellent! You know, my philosophy has always been and will always be: Music is Emotion. A bit of guidance here is that for those of you who like "Deadwing" album, will definitely enjoy this album as well. But it does not mean that those who don't will not enjoy this. This is a universal album that serves any musical taste and I'm sure that you have to give it a try! If you are audiophile, I would suggest you to buy the vinyl. I am sure this album would sound great when you enjoy it with a vinyl. Keep on proggin' ..!

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW

It's the end of the world / The end of the world / It's a prison for dreams and for hopes / And still we believe there is God / It's the end of the world / The end of the world We're dead but pretend we're alive / Full of ignorance, fools in disguise .

("End of The World" - Blackfield II)

Another great little collection of songs to slash your wrists to from Blackfield. I'm pretty much sure that's the goal of this particular Steven Wilson project.

But seriously the music is beautiful, but the lyrics mostly all depressing and about emotional pain, anguish, loss, etc. Still, I like it. It's actually a little more upbeat lyrically than the first, which I find more progressive musically, and was the one that sucked me in to Blackfield, as well as got me to check out many of the rest of Mr. Wilson's projects outside of Porcupine Tree.

Sorry, folks, no metal guitar licks here if that's what you're expecting, in fact I don't think there are any SW projects that really deliver that like the PT. The style here is mostly dark and mellow. It's one of the many fine offerings by Steven and others for 2007.

Backfield - Backfield II 3.75 stars.

Once again Steven Wilson and Aviv Geffen come back and deliver another great album. This album has a few songs that are the best in their catalogue thus far, but it also has some track that tend to be dull musically and lyrically.something that the debut album did not contain. Otherwise we are getting more of the same on this album, a collection of some great songs with catchy verses and melodies. The most notable difference is the Aviv Geffen finally sings on more then a very few tracks! So if you liked his voice and the first album, don't hesistate to check this album out.

The standout songs on this album and in my opinion beat most of the tracks on the first one are; 'Once', 'Miss U', 'Some Day' and 'End of the World'. Other then these I find most of the tracks on the debut to be better.

Like I said before, if you are a fan of the first, you will like this one too. There isn't too much of a different sound then the debut, just newer songs. I just did not find it as good, 3.75 stars, a very good album.

I found the Blackfield debut album very nice. Nothing special but a very good album, and I had been looking forward to checking their sophmore album out. I´m a bit disappointed really. It´s not the quality of the music though as it is high enough. It´s more the fact that it´s almost the same concept done over again with no new challenges or innovative things to be excited about.

The music is a mix of the more poppy Porcupine Tree and more commercial music. This is essentially pop done a slightly prog way. This time the music is even more commercial than on the debut and I´m having a hard time imagining myself listening to this in a couple of months. The lyrics are horribly simple and evolve around depressive/ melancholic subjects. I like those subjects a lot, but here it´s not done with finesse. It´s like getting a hammer in the face when Steven Wilson sings: I WANNA DIE IN THIS MOMENT on 1,000 People and that´s even one of the better ones in my ears.

Well all is not terrible and the sound quality and general production is very high, I just wish Wilson and Geffen would try some other tricks in the book, but I guess Steven Wilson gets his prog tendencies out in Porcupine Tree.

Don´t think this sounds much like Porcupine Tree even though Steven Wilson plays in this band. The structure of the songs are very basic Vers/ chorus and there are virtually no instrumental parts.

Because of the high production skills and the good compositions ( professionally speaking) this gets a 3 star rating from me, but it´s not something I´ll listen to very often, and if I want to hear Blackfield I prefer the debut.

Another album from the fun-meister Steve Wilson. This time with the comparably very cheerful Mr Geffen.

once is an upbeat decent pop track. Yeah!!

1,000 people opens with characteristic Stevo happiness: 1,000 people smiling at me/but i want to die ... nice one Steve! Just when i thought it was possible to listen to an album involving Steve without reaching for the razor blades I'm conftonted with Now This is What i Call Music to Slash My Wrists To Volume II. Time to dig put my Smith s collection to cheer me up. Seriously why is this guy's music so unbearably miserable?

Miss U is about another failed relationship but hey it's positively uplifting compared to 1,000 people.

Christening has an impressive Beatles feel. Great track. Pop from the top drawer. Still laced with a modcum of sombre music but hey it's Steve!

This Killer opens with a lovely guitar sound: reminds me of Lee Ritenour: fabulous sound. Of course, Steve jumps in and introduces his melancholic tones. Here it works. throughout there remains this beautiful guitar sound (nothing complex in terms of playing but it's just a fabuluous recording of guitar: for me it cuts through everything). Beautiful and clean.

Epidemic: not another break up song but this one is tinged with jealously. Oh please: An epidemic in my heart/Takes hold and slowly poisons me/Her will won't let me beIt comes in waves and bleeds me dry/This love is slowly killing me/For me, there's noone else

Gift of Silence is a musical shot in the arm for the album: uplifting. But the lyrics: The smile on my lips is a sign that I don't hear you leaving me/And I don't hear my own soul scream. Jeez but can someone please cheer these guys up!!!?

So, what's the verdict? I always find Steve Wilson difficult. Themes are so depressing and morose but the craft is excellent.

for me life is too short to be draged down into the depths of despond by this ... if you're a fan buy it & you will enjoy it otherwise look elsewhere.

Wrist-slitting time

Not the cheeriest CD ever released, with the subject matter ranging from "I wanna die" to "it's the end of the world". If it wasn't for the majestic melodies, this would have you reaching for the Joy Division CD's in a bid for a bit of light relief. This second release from Steven Wilson and Aviv Geffen is basically the shorter and more melodic side of Porcupine Tree ("Lazarus" from "Deadwing" would fit in nicely here) and it's certainly chock full of wonderful melodies from start to the afore-mentiond "End of the World". This is Steven Wilson reining in his prog tendencies a bit and going for the shorter songs, which would not sound out of place on mainstream radio. Give it a few listens and the hooks get into your brain and stay there. Featuring the distinctive Porcupine Tree harmonies and chord changes, this is perfect for those of you who prefer the shorter and simpler side of PT. Just don't expect any jokes.

Like the first Blackfield output, this is a good album (perhaps better than the first), but it nevertheless has no room getting high ratings on a progressive music site.

This release shows Wilson and Geffen expanding their collaboration, sounding like a couple of guys who actually worked together on a release. Geffen's contributions are more present and more well- developed. However, there really is nothing much new offered by Blackfield II. The melancholic atmospherism of earlier Blackfield tracks like Glow is mostly not around here. Instead, the music is built mostly on a singer/songwriter feel. Some of the parts are heavier than any on the first release, and the lyrics are even darker and more upset (a major feat, to be honest). However, like the first, this is just a collection of mostly mature pop, not really moving beyond the standard realm of short and simplistic tunes or even dabbling in the idea of a particular album cohesion. The sound is wonderful, as we've come to expect from Porcupine Tree's main man, but even still, no amount of clever production can turn average pop songs into high quality progressive music releases.

It all begins with Once, a track that delves in the heavier side of things for parts of its length. It is very similar to Open Mind off the first Blackfield. 1,000 People is a sad and lonely tune, in keeping with the album's theme. Miss U, complete with a very 90s title, is a whining and sad tune about missing somebody (big surprise, though I will be honest and admit that before I read the lyrics, I was hoping it would be about Mississippi University and not the obvious teenage drama it implies). Christenings is the first song really worth something on here, being one of Deadwing's myriad lost B-sides. An acoustic number with an upbeat vocal melody, it actually drags the album out of its mire of self-pity for a few (too few) minutes. It's followed by self loathing in the form of This Killer, another pop tune with little to stand out about it. Epidemic, however, is another of the three quality tracks here, beginning with a haunting little piano melody and building to a guitar solo and some powerful vocal harmonies. Unfortunately, to temper this onslaught of quality, the next three tracks explode with mediocre pop sounds. They aren't bad, just... normal, I suppose. The album closer is the strongest track here, with the two splitting up the verses between them and crying out in heartbreaking harmony for the chorus. The production, the sound, and the songwriting all line up wonderfully on this song, and this might just be a necessary listen for fans of Steven Wilson.

A par to sub-par album filled with mostly generic pop tunes, Blackfield II builds on the first with a few nice songs that rise above the rest, but even so, only serious fans of Porcupine Tree should bother checking this out as a prog release.

Blackfield's second instalment is hardly any different from the debut, the sound is a bit less polished, but at its heart, this is the result of Wilson's need to try out his mellow pop songs on us.

Just as one the first Blackfield he is quite successful in some tracks but comes off rather bland on others. The most melancholic songs are the most enjoyable. The bitter sweet taste of 1000 people and This Killer are a couple of tunes I occasionally listen to. Most of the songs pass by without causing any commotion. Those sung by Aviv Geffen are the worst, not in the least because of his more conventional pop vocals and inadequate English accent. Miss U is one that I just can't bear to hear.

An album that sounds like a routine job, not bad but simply forgettable. 2.5 stars.

'Blackfield II' - Blackfield (8/10)

While musical renaissance man Steven Wilson devotes most of his musical efforts towards his main band Porcupine Tree, he also has a number of side projects in which he shows off different dimensions of himself and his work. Pairing up with Israeli art rock icon Aviv Geffen, the project Blackfield shows Steven Wilson's trademark sound being done over with a succinct pop sensibility. The follow-up to the first Blackfield record shows a marked improvement, and seeks to set the project apart from merely being a piece of Porcupine Tree apocrypha as many deem it to be.

Even in interviews, Geffen and Wilson have stated that Blackfield is meant to be nothing more than an exploration of short, catchy, concise songs and simple expression of emotion. Indeed, there are no prog rock indulgences and complex instrumental sections, only songs that could just as easily be played intimately to a coffee shop audience without having lost any of their power. As might come to be expected from two highly esteemed artists as Geffen and Wilson, the songwriting is very strong, and conveys some sincere sadness in charming, bitesize portions. However, while the songwriting may be simple and to-the-point, the way in which these songs are produced and arranged is anything but. Much like Porcupine Tree, Blackfield's music is fleshed out beautifully through Steven Wilson's expertise with production, and the sound usually has just as much going into it as any prog rock album. Ambiance, vocal harmonies, and even a string section courtesy of the Downtown Session Orchestra take part in making the songs come alive, which takes 'Blackfield II' from being a merely good record, to a truly great one.

While Steven Wilson may be the one that receives the most accolades and respect for Blackfield, it is in fact Aviv Geffen who does most of the songwriting here, although he does seem to take a backseat when it comes to the execution of it all. Geffen's songwriting style is generally more melancholic and sentimental than Wilson's here, and such songs as '1000 People' and 'End Of The World' are instantly memorable pieces of writing. Wilson is also no pushover when it comes to the writing here, and pens some incredible work here like the catchy 'Once' and 'My Gift Of Silence', the latter of which being the album's remarkable highlight and could have easily fit on one of Porcupine Tree's more melodic albums.

Blackfield proves itself as being more than a mere experiment as some thought it out to be at first with the second album. Although the first certainly had some very good material on it, 'Blackfield II' outdoes it in virtually every way. Not a completely remarkable album from start to finish, but there is plenty of excellence to go around here.

Blackfield II is the 2nd (of course) album by the Steven Wilson/Aviv Geffin project. The music is very similar to Porcupine Tree's music, but in much shorter run times and more radio friendly. This album is quite similar to the first album where Wilson was heading the band as far as what you hear, but Geffin wrote most of the lyrics. Wilson also sings most of the songs except for 'Miss U'. This is the only track Geffin sings this time around except for where he shares lead vocals w/Wilson on 'Epidemic', 'Where Is My Love?' and 'End of the World'.

The songs are in the same vein as the debut album, drenched with strings and keyboards with only some short instrumental breaks. The songs are mostly around the 4 minute mark and only one, 'End of the World' slightly surpassing the 5 minute mark. The tracks are a little better developed on this album, but still seem to be lacking in this department.

Wilson's intention for Blackfield was to let Geffin eventually have control over the project, and while these songs are more penned by Geffin, they still have much influence from Wilson, and it really sounds that way too as it has his familiar tone and sound to the music, which is a good thing. The next album, 'Welcome to My DNA' would see Wilson step more into the background, and thus the quality of the music immediately suffered for it.

As for this album, it is still great music with great lyrics and great emotion from Wilson's influence. It still suffers from being more radio friendly and thus a lack of song development. Still, these are great, mostly straightforward songs that merit 4 stars. Porcupine Tree lovers will still love it and so will some others that don't like the extensive use of instrumentals in PT's music. For me, it suffers from there not being enough exploration, but I still find these songs a step above the normal radio friendly songs. The album is only slightly better than the debut album in I think the songs are better, but others may disagree. Nevertheless, the improvement is slight and not enough to elevate the rating over the debut album. Still, it's worth checking out.