Porcupine Tree
We Lost The Skyline

THE REVIEW

I don't know how many more chances you'll have to see a review of mine on Porcupine Tree. They are a band that fascinates me, yet still hides many things from me: in short, there are some parts of their music that elude me. Beautiful and curious albums such as "The Sky Moves Sideways" or "Stupid Dream" have fleeting parts, typical of a rock that goes a bit beyond the norms; overall, works of undoubted charm but perhaps challenging for those seeking their first contact with the aforementioned band. Some find this sound a bit flat, not very engaging, and not as versatile as true progressive.

This 2008 gives us the opportunity to eliminate much of the impressions we had about Porcupine. An acoustic live featuring only two members of the band, voice and guitar. A brief album, with pieces adapted and reduced to create an unexpectedly intimate scene. This performance strips the tracks of all possible effects, of every strongly marked rhythm, of every distant shout, and of every fantasy that would usually arise from studio works.

Take the first track, right "The Sky Moves Sideways" (a great choice to start with): it's hard to think that, without keyboards, distant echo effects, and other psychedelic atmospheres, the track would stand. Yet it stands, and magnificently so. The guitar delicately marks the main theme, and the humble, natural voice does the rest.

The performance continues with other excellent pieces, including "Waiting" and the splendid "Normal" (from the EP "Nil Recurring"). The harder, more intense songs are softened, sweetened if you will: even in "Deadwing" we don't find such relaxed sensations. The tracks seem to take on a more heartfelt and sentimental form, accessible to the most impenetrable ears.

The dimension of Porcupine Tree, perhaps just for this once, takes on a totally different face. And believe me, it's a beautiful experience. Half an hour of abandonment, different from what a well-made album gives: rather, the abandonment of an album with beauty without frills. In the end, I visibly felt better, it is not fantasy.

I'm not a die-hard fan of this band, which, like everyone else, has had its ups and downs. I considered this live album as OUTSIDE their production, as an album in itself, since it's not classifiable in their previous discography. My rating is completely impartial, so I recommend not missing it. I repeat, my input on such a band can only happen if it's a sincere praise, which practically everyone can share.

But it's just another surprise that this year, like 2007, is giving us. Rating: 4.5

(The review is concise, but if I feel like saying only a few things and not others, I hope not to blame myself. Plus, I'm naturally concise. Get used to it)