SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: STEVEN WILSON – THE OVERVIEW

STEVEN WILSON
THE OVERVIEW
FICTION RECORDS

Steven Wilson has been making albums since the early 1980s, first with the duo/groups Altamont and Amberian Dawn. He eventually formed the hugely successful Porcupine Tree and in 2008 he released his solo debut album, Insurgentes. He has always straddled different genres with a great deal of success. However, he is most associated with prog rock. The Overview will not disappoint fans of prog rock or Steven Wilson. The Overview is his eighth studio album.

The album is really two tracks. Side one features “Objects Outlive Us” and side two consists of “The Overview”. Each song is divided into sections, and like the great prog albums of all times, each ‘song’ changes and weaves musical themes but keeps the long form songs very interesting. Although it is a solo album, Wilson does have some help from Craig Blundell (drums), Adam Holzman (keyboards), and Randy McStine (guitars). Wilson has worked with these musicians before, and as such there is a definite band atmosphere throughout both sides.

“Objects Outlive Us” opens in style with an almost classical/operatic feel. It quickly and easily drifts into more prog rock. The song is broken into segments, with one piece featuring lyrics by Andy Partridge (“Objects: Meanwhile”). The music flows from rock to rock infused with classical and electronic. It comes to a peaceful, almost ambient end which sets up side two.

“The Overview” is a different sound from the other track. The song opens with electronic music. Very quickly, the music drifts into more standard rock sounds, and, like “Objects Outlive Us”, it is broken into segments. Some of the moments, it is straight ahead rock ‘n’ roll, but with Wilson, nothing is ever straight ahead. He throws in enough curve balls and twists and turns to keep things very interesting.

Wilson is often compared to Pink Floyd or Mike Oldfield, but Wilson has his own distinct style. He has crafted his skill as a composer, producer, arranger, and performer over the years and has continued to grow over the years. The Overview is a brilliant album. It is an album meant for headphones or surround sound. It is also an album to enjoy from beginning to end. Wilson has written an incredible album that is a very welcome addition to his growing list of albums. In between remixing and remastering other artists, Wilson has taken the creative ropes in his career and in the process is one of the most creative and interesting artists today.

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