Blackfield
Blackfield II

THE REVIEW

Discussing Steven Wilson (as with his Porcupine Tree, for that matter) is always difficult. He belongs to the category of artists who, depending on various sensibilities, are hailed as Geniuses or accused of being merely good plagiarists.

Personally, I lean more towards the former assumption, although not everything in his production excites me. I admit that the clichés of certain Prog are very present in his works.

Blackfield is one of his side projects initiated together with his Israeli fan, multi-instrumentalist Aviv Geffen, and I’ll say this right away: if you're looking for Prog, look elsewhere. In fact, this second project from the super band delves even deeper into the sounds currently in vogue on the global scene, with ample Emocore references and sophisticated Pop citations.

I know it seems cliché to say, but despite these premises, thanks to Wilson's undeniable sound elegance, these dangerous influences are not to say they aren't felt (quite the opposite), but they appear so clear and free from compromises (as if he himself no longer has to justify his connection to more cultured music), that the listener can immerse in an almost sinless world, where Pop and all other mainstream references are just a pretext to tell stories of melancholy and purification.

It is indeed the feelings and emotions that drive all the songs: from the initial "Once" and "1,000 People" with heavy Emo references, to the more ordinary (yet elegant in their fragile Pop structure) "Miss You", "Christenings" and "This Killer", which lead straight into the second part of the work. Here, the Prog origins of the co-author (let's not forget the songs were co-written) are more evident, and where from the darkness of previous calmness, one can hear those “guitar walls” that we so much enjoy once again, exemplified by the exciting "Epidemic", perhaps the best episode, and the concluding "End of The World".

Just over forty minutes of music that explore, with simplicity and minimal stylistic structures, themes of emotions and attempt to reproduce them with good results. Certainly, one might also cry out for an overdose of syrup listening to, for example, "Where is my Love?", but in my opinion, it’s a venial sin (let's not be ashamed to fall into sentimentality now and then, even if we're big, burly, and bearded!).

It's needless to say that supporters of the more technical Wilson may be disappointed and, conversely, detractors may push even more towards an idea of an irretrievably citationist author. In my opinion, the truth lies, as usual, in the middle. The product is very enjoyable and for those willing to leave behind unnecessary preconceptions, it provides emotions too.

To be approached only with an open mind.