Steven Wilson
4 1/2

Nothing by Steven Wilson should be wasted! The musician himself must believe this, as he releases a new EP shortly after the previous Hands. Cannot. Erase. In reality, "new" should be put in quotes because this 4 1/2 is a collection of remixes and tracks salvaged from the sessions of The Raven that Refused to Sing and the already mentioned Hand. Cannot. Erase, but it also features a new version of Don't Hate Me, a track by Porcupine Tree from the album Stupid Dream.

My Book of Regrets seems like a natural extension of the prog universe revisited in "Raven," with a pragmatic attack that immediately gives way to a somewhat unremarkable song, with a strong B-side vibe. As on other occasions, however, an interminable instrumental scaffold comes to the rescue, largely occupying the central part of a track that nearly reaches ten minutes. Great virtuosity, accelerations, and slowdowns help create a true musical experience, also ensured by the great musicians Wilson has surrounded himself with for years. You reach the end with a very, very satisfied expression. The following track, Year of the Plague, is exquisitely delicate, with acoustic guitar and violin accompaniment, a dreamy and contemplative track, in full harmony with the melancholic solitude narrated in Hand. Cannot. Erase. In Happiness III, full space is given to the song form, with Wilson's voice in great shape, accompanied by a lively rhythm. The song itself, however, is anything but memorable, including the refrain.

Sunday Rain Sets In is another instrumental that follows Year of the Plague in a mirror-like manner: in this case, the instruments work to evoke opposite emotions, with a sense of discomfort and anxiety, with a latent darkness that culminates in a violent and unexpected outburst at the end. Vermillioncore is another instrumental that I found very enjoyable; I greatly appreciated the structural variety and creativity, despite its duration of just over five minutes. The piece opens with mysterious atmospheres and then gets swept away by very heavy electric guitar lines, which are further renewed with an arrangement almost reminiscent of psychedelia. Don't Hate Me is the aforementioned remake of the homonymous track from Stupid Dream; fans might be shocked, and there will surely be accusations of rampant recycling. Ultimately, we care little about this when the outcome is positive as in this case. Structurally similar to the original, this new version employs singer Ninet Tayeb to interpret the refrain. For some reason, I found it much less morbid than the original, as usual enriched by exhaustive instrumental sections that justify its striking length (over nine minutes).

4 1/2 is the classic "OK" work intended exclusively for die-hard Steven Wilson fans and collectors, while waiting for the real new album. The quality is not lacking, but there is nothing particularly memorable compared to what was previously heard, it is a more of the same that is decidedly enjoyable but not able to overturn the - often opposing - opinions that people may have already formed about this musician.