DISSOLUTION

I've struggled to really get into much of The Pineapple Thief's catalogue over the years. Bruce Soord's vocals have always been touchingly wistful, but I felt the songwriting failed to offer big surprises that could drive the songs to another level and prevent their albums becoming a little predictable. I think Dissolution really solves this issue. Some of that might be down to the addition of Gavin Harrison on drums. While present for the previous release (Your Wilderness) he reportedly played a bigger role in the songwriting process on this album, perhaps most clearly in the standout track - White Mist - which is IMO a modern prog classic. The album as a whole does a wonderful job of charting a consistent lyrical line around (post)modern alienation in a world of cyber-bullying, anonymous attacks and political decay. Bruce's singing is consistently excellent, creating a menace with his delightfully lightly pitched tone. The band is wonderful, and Harrison's work is jaw-dropping in its attention to detail. Fabulous album!