Wilson, Steven: The Harmony Codex

I have been a fan of Steven Wilson since I discovered Porcupine Tree in the late 90s. It’s been a bumpy ride since his 2013 release The Raven That Refused To Sing. For me, that is the pinnacle of Wilson’s career, including Porcupine Tree. I don’t expect or want an artist to make the same album over again, that’s not the point of making music. But, there comes a time when you have to be honest with yourself, are you buying strictly because of the name on the cover, or for the music.

The Harmony Codex is a wonderful sounding album, lush, atmospheric, and pleasing to the ear. He shows many influences such as electronica, pop, and he has retained some Prog tendencies. The opening “Inclination� has a lot of atmospheric sounds, and is heavily electronica influenced. The catchiest track “What Life Brings� is a moody piece that has the catchiest melody to my ears, and feels instantly recognizable in my expectations of his music. “Economies of Scale� falls into similar territory, dreamy atmospheric music, that’s sparse and open. “Impossible Tightrope� is pressing all the right buttons, but most importantly ramps up the intensity which was needed at this point. What is lacking her is that harder edge he brought into Porcupine Tree, the contrast that is needed for the quieter moments to have more impact. Ninet Tayeb is back with her distinctive raspy vocals to accompany Wilson on “Rock Bottom�, a song that begs for a much better guitar solo then we are given. After “Beautiful Scarecrow� I feel like the focus is more about sound than song, the title track is basically a long lullaby. I miss the variation of the music, something I feel he always did so well, and that’s a shame.

Honestly, this is a tough one to get through in one listen. I find it moves too slow, too much emphasis on atmosphere and not enough punch. The time has come to move on, I have a great love for most of Wilson’s output, but The Harmony Codex failed to grab my interest.

Track List:
1. Inclination
2. What Life Brings
3. Economies of Scale
4. Impossible Tightrope
5. Rock Bottom
6. Beautiful Scarecrow
7. The Harmony Codex
8. Time Is Running Out
9. Actual Brutal Facts
10. Staircase

Added: October 26th 2023
Reviewer: Eric Porter
Score:
Related Link: Artist Website
Hits: 1109
Language: english

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