THE RAVEN THAT REFUSED TO SING (AND OTHER STORIES)

I'll begin this review with a confession. Although I've never disliked Porcupine Tree, Blackfield, etc., for years I considered Steven Wilson to be extremely overrated. I understood the appeal but never the widespread obsession -- fans and the press alike were treating him like the new prog messiah, and I simply didn't get it.

Recently, on the strength of "Luminol" (courtesy of Prog magazine's CD sampler), I thought there just might be a little something more going on, so I picked up The Raven that Refused to Sing (and Other Stories). I had the privilege of listening start to finish on a long drive alone...and I almost had to pull over more than once because I was so overcome by how amazing this album is. The musicians are stellar, the sound is pristine but wonderfully organic, and the songs are powerful enough to create their own worlds and instantly transport the listener there.

This is one of the few albums I continue to play straight through on every listen, without skipping a moment. That said, certain moments do stand out. One of my personal favorites is that section from 7:10 to about 8:50 in "The Watchmaker." Against such a macabre lyrical backdrop, those layered vocals are so haunting and beautiful that I was reduced to tears on the first couple of listens (and still get chills every time) -- and that's saying something for a singer who generally struck me as average to mediocre.

Despite my ambivalence about some of his other work, I have no reservations in calling The Raven that Refused to Sing an absolute masterpiece. This is the stuff of genius.