Steven Wilson
To the Bone

"There you have it, even he has sold out to today's music market. Even he wanted to churn out an easy-listening album to make even easier money." This is what the most devoted fans of the eclectic Steven Wilson (we all know who he is, no need for explanations) must have thought after listening to "Pariah" and "Permanating," the first two singles from the latest studio effort of the most ingenious Porcupine in music titled "To The Bone." Yes, exactly, "to the bone." Because this is what this album represents. "To the Bone" is an inner journey of the artist, a color photograph of what his musical childhood was like, a photograph taken by Wilson himself to pay homage to the artists who have accompanied him throughout his life. It was this, then, that drove an artist who has churned out small prog masterpieces (perhaps not so small) like "Lightbulb Sun" or "The Raven That Refused to Sing" to change musical direction. Not only Progressive, therefore, but also something simpler and more immediate, without necessarily compromising unnecessarily. Because yes, "To The Bone" is nothing but a Pop album, but written with a class and love that is decidedly difficult to find in the musical landscape of the aforementioned genre. Forget overly saccharine melodies, predictable choruses, essential drums, boring instrumental parts, and sugary and silly lyrics. Once again, Wilson surrounds himself with phenomenal musicians and brings to life an album full of pathos, emotions, colors, and positive sensations. From the title track, to the already mentioned emotional "Pariah," to the beautiful "Refuge" (in the writer's opinion the album's highest peak) to the energetic "The Same Asylum as Before," the album doesn't miss a beat, in fact, it confirms (as if it were needed) once again Wilson's ENORMOUS musical abilities, capable of deftly navigating multiple genres without ever falling into the banal. "To The Bone" is a Pop album that doesn't even accidentally fall into the usual clichés of the aforementioned genre. It's an album written with class that recalls ABBA, Peter Gabriel, the Collins-era Genesis, etc... All youthful heroes of the former Porcupine Tree. Once again, he was right, in spite of those who had already branded him as a sellout.