Restlessness has been a defining characteristic of
Steven Wilson's musical career. One need only consider his many projects as evidence:
No-Man with
Tim Bowness,
Blackfield with
Aviv Geffen,
Porcupine Tree, Bass Communion, and I.E.M., and his four earlier prog/pop solo projects, Raven That Refused to Sing, Hand. Cannot. Erase,
Grace for Drowning, and
Insurgentes. He even whet punters' appetites for this by reissuing his cover singles as an album, and
4 1/2 to reveal the more accessible side of his songwriting.
To the Bone's press materials describe it as
Wilson's "...hat-tip to the hugely ambitious progressive pop records of his youth...." Sources cited are
Peter Gabriel,
Tears for Fears,
Kate Bush, etc. One can hear their traces, and especially
David Bowie's here.
This is the most "song"-oriented record in
Wilson's catalog. Each tune could have been recorded in a vacuum.
Wilson includes members of his road band and others, and features Israeli singer Ninet Tayeb -- who nearly steals the show on several tracks. On the stellar title opening cut -- complete with
Pink Floyd-esque guitars (à la "Time") Tayeb's and Dave Kilminster's backing vocals buoy the tune's hook, and add operatic support to
Wilson's lead. On "Pariah," Tayeb alternates lead vocals with
Wilson. The lithe harmonic architecture with lilting synths, restrained guitars, and loops creates a backdrop for his vulnerable delivery, yet her refrain resonates with emotional authority and encouragement for the protagonist's doubt. It echoes the interplay of
Gabriel and
Bush on "Don't Give Up" and is just as distinctive. "Refuge" takes a couple of minutes to emerge from its (mostly) electronic intro, but when it does, its sultry melody is supported by a trilling string section and thundering tom-toms, squalling harmonica and power chords to become an anthem. Speaking of which, the utterly infectious "Permanenting" with its hooky melody (again with Tayeb's backing vocals adding heft and sincerity) nods directly at
Tears for Fears' glorious harmonies while simultaneously reflecting a love of Northern soul (à la
Curtis Mayfield's "Get on Up"), though its urgent guitars and popping drums are pure
Wilson. "People Eat Darkness" is a fist-pumping rocker that sounds like
Bowie fronting
Swervedriver, but gets a few points deducted for hamfisted lyrics.
Wilson nods at the post-trip-hop sounds of
No-Man with "Song of I," with its loops and handclaps atop piano and strings. Its vocals are delivered in duet with
Sophie Hunger. The nine-minute "Detonation" weds prog to adventurous pop with a glorious result, while closer "Song to Unborn" (featuring only his road band) is majestic; it could easily sit with the songs on either
Raven or Hand. While
To the Bone sometimes seems inconsistent, it's an illusion; repeated listening reveals that
Wilson's brand of progressive pop is so multivalently textured and expertly crafted, that its aesthetic and sonic palette refuse to be contained under a single rock umbrella. As such,
To the Bone stands with
Wilson's best work. [
To the Bone was also released on LP.] ~ Thom Jurek