Steven Wilson - Grace For Drowning

Steven Wilson - Grace For Drowning
Genre: Progressive Rock/Alternative
Rating: 9/10

If there is one word you cannot use to describe Steven Wilson it would be "lazy". As well as being the main songwriter and frontman for prog luminaries Porcupine Tree he is also in Blackfield, Bass Communion and No-Man whilst simultaneously supporting his own solo career. This isn't even taking into account the work he does as a producer which has seen him produce albums by bands like Opeth and even remaster and expand prog legends King Crimsons back catalogue, which is no mean feat if you know how difficult it is to please a perfectionist like Robert Fripp. So after a frighteningly short time period of just three years Wilson returns to follow up his solo debut Insurgentes with his two disc epic Grace For Drowning. Wilson's music for the uninitiated draws influences from the classic prog rock of the sixties and seventies like Pink Floyd, King Crimson and Jethro Tull and combines traditional rock elements with classical instrumentation and electronica.

Whilst Wilson's debut Insurgentes was a very electronic affair with sparse creeping programmed sections and electronic beats creating an almost paranoid feeling for the most part Grace For Drowning is a much more organic beast. Creepy keyboards are replaced by classical piano's, choir refrains, saxophones and flutes. Whilst Wilson's solo debut Insurgentes was a dark and brooding album where each track built to a horrendous crashing finale Grace For Drowning seems more diverse which is refreshing indeed. Most of the tracks have huge sprawling instrumental sections that have an almost euphoric feel the choral vocals being a particular highlight. The tones invoked throughout the album remain quite dark in places and the heavier sections have more of an impact because of these stark contrasts between beautiful harmony and deranged riffs. The overall sound is very much influenced by Wilson's work with King Crimson's Robert Fripp one of prog rocks undisputed legends and Fripp is even listed in the credits. The brilliant use of bombastic saxophone drones and complex evil riffs makes for an enchanting listen throughout the album and keeps you guessing where and when the next twist or turn will be coming from. Highlights include the brilliantly low-key down tempo elctronica of "Index" which sees Wilson return to more familiar ground and the fierce "No Part Of Me" which sees manic shifts throughout. The main highlight that cannot be ignored is "Raider II" a 23 minute sprawling epic that is filled to the brim with outrageous saxophone work beautiful jazz flute and flat out schizophrenic guitar sections. The best thing about Grace For Drowning is not only the diversity but also the natural feel to it. Whilst many bands in the prog genre push themselves so far away from conventional rock many of the more left field elements feel forced whereas on this album nothing seems to have been thrown in haphazardly. The album whilst deeply satisfying in technical terms with its impressive instrumentation never feels self indulgent or over the top and whilst there are more than a few long tracks none of them feel drawn out just tick boxes.

Overall Grace For Drowning is not just a brilliant sophomore effort but a brilliant album in general. The range of emotion and complexity of this record really make it a solid contender for album of the year. Highly recommended to any rock or prog rock fan.

Download: "Raider II" "Index"