THE INCIDENT

Do not be misled: There are some preliminary myths to dispel here. First of all, there is no fifty-five minute epic. There are no recurring themes and the constituent tracks are almost completely independent of one another musically. Most copies of the album have the parts divided into multiple tracks (it seems there are downloadable versions that do not), and that seems to be appropriate. Second, this is not a double album even though there are two discs. The band segregated an EP worth of music that had little or nothing to do with the concept of "The Incident." I expected something different with the second disc, given that the four tracks on it were considered different enough to be relegated to a home of their own, but nothing on it is remarkably different at all. So while there is still a massive amount of music in one package, it does not exceed the limitation of one CD. Third, and most controversially, I'd imagine, this album essentially isn't even progressive rock. Allow me to preface further commentary about the progressiveness of Porcupine Tree's 2009 release by stating that the band has created exceptional pop-rock music (In Absentia is chief among them- now there's an album that consists of almost all pop tracks, lacking any elements generally considered progressive, yet still earned my praise and clearly the accolades of many more). There are a few progressive cuts, but mostly this album is loaded with overcast alternative rock- again, not necessarily a bad thing, but just something to be aware of. But is it disappointing? Yes, that's fair to say, although not because of any hype from easy-to-please fans or overzealous reviewers praising an incomplete pirated copy they heard once. To be fair, the disappointment extends far beyond Porcupine Tree- many bands are taking the safest road and deliberately creating mainstream music for whatever reason. So many artists at the end of this decade who have impressed in the past are loitering in the realm of dullness and simplicity. I don't know why. The Incident is a letdown itself though, because a band that has created remarkable albums in very recent years decides to birth a whopping 76 minutes of music (on two separate discs, no less, as though the first 55 minutes is so special it requires its own disc) that is so unbelievably bland. Something this faceless and insipid is music that just about any band could have created, all but completely lacking the fingerprint of an otherwise amazing group. Upon hearing Insurgentes, my belief that even Steven Wilson's turds were gold was summarily shattered, and this album, while thankfully not bearing a really close relation to its noisy yet sleepy cousin, does little to dismiss my fears of the direction Porcupine Tree is taking. The music is one lump of mellowness despite a few heavy but not really memorable electric guitar riffs from time to time. Gavin Harrison is one of the greatest drummers in the business today, but all throughout this album, no one would know it (perhaps there's just something to be said for economy). Richard Barbieri seems to have a token role here, as his main job is to just fill out the sound (and when he does that he does so thinly). Colin Edwin follows the riffs and chords with little departure. Were I to have guessed, I would have said this record was merely a Steven Wilson solo album (yes, of course Porcupine Tree is a Steven Wilson solo project, the joke goes, but this is a bit ridiculous). Essentially, The Incident is a watered-down version of everything that makes modern-day Porcupine Tree an outstanding band. Overall, the music is dismal, stark, and characterized only by a constant niggardliness toward variation, with respect to both composition and tone.

"The Incident" Nevertheless, I will not divide the first disc into tracks for the purpose of describing them. "Blind House" is like a little brother to "Blackest Eyes," juxtaposing soft verses with hard-hitting power chords, and sandwiched between is a catchy chorus- a great start. "Drawing the Line" is okay, but smacks of indie pop rock, the likes of which other bands do much better. "Incident" is an electronic mess, with muttered and whispered vocals. "The Yellow Windows of the Evening Train" is simply stunning in its simplicity, employing a gorgeous choral Mellotron over sparse instrumentation- a perfect introduction to the next track. "Time Flies" is a purposeful homage to Pink Floyd's "Dogs," using the brilliant acoustic guitar chord progression and keyboards hovering the background. In that respect, it's something of a shame that this is by far the most inspired moment on the album- eleven minutes with moving, nostalgic lyrics and a stunning melody. There is also a nod to "Sheep" during this song with the electric guitar chords. "Octane Twisted" is an untidy romp through various textures of sound and minimalism. Mercifully, it transitions rather cleanly into "The Séance," a pleasing acoustic guitar-based song with elegant vocal harmonies. As a stark contrast, "Circle of Manias" is a disagreeable foray back into noisy metal territory. Other than "Blind House" and "Time Flies," the third standout member of this first disc is "I Drive the Hearse," which features intriguing lyrics, lovely acoustic guitar, and another outstanding vocal melody- a fine finisher. The bottom line is that there is nothing to distinguish "The Incident" from any record with a loose lyrical concept- with no recurring themes or melodies to anchor it, it just bumbles along with no direction- highlights yes, but direction, no.

"Flicker" A satisfying, easygoing pop song, this maintains the same sound and textures of the first disc and boils it all down into an undemanding but respectable song.

"Bonnie the Cat" More or less a repetitive experimental clutter, the second offering on the second disc is all over the place, with barking guitars, incoherent percussion, and other incompatible sounds. The fuzzy guitar, especially the squealing lead, is something I could have done without. However, the vocals are the focal point of this strange piece, though they are not melodic, but rather are almost spoken word. And yet in spite of all these criticisms, I do not find myself disliking the piece, odd as that may seem.

"Black Dahlia" This is a drowsy song that starts out with electric piano and Wilson's voice laden with quite a few effects- not bad, but certainly nothing to get excited over. Change the instrumentation just a bit, and give Wilson a twang, and this could have easily been a country song.

"Remember Me Lover" Here is another of Wilson's "angry love" songs. This final track, despite the length, is in the vein of popular alternative rock, except to say that I find the electric guitar refreshing. The heavy riffs placed aside the softer vocal sections, however, don't flow well at all, making this seven-and-a-half-minute finisher seem more like two or three separate pieces of music crammed together, although perhaps after the "epic" of the first disc, this approach toward music might just be a bad habit- or merely incidental.