Steven Wilson - Insurgentes

Steven Wilson - Insurgentes

Release date: February 26, 2009

Steven Wilson is a busy man.  Aside from his primary band Porcupine Tree, the British neo-prog hero has been involved with numerous side projects in the past decade or so, each having their own distinct sound - Blackfield, No-Man, and IEM are just a few of these.  So it’s no small feat that, in 2008, Wilson found the time between all his other commitments to create and release his first true solo album, Insurgentes.  Written and recorded over a nine-month period in locations all around the world, Insurgentes is a vastly diverse album.  This may be due to the variety of genres and sub-genres that Wilson had been working in prior to its creation, or it may simply be a byproduct of the exotic locales in which the material here was conceived.  Either way, Wilson shows staggering musical range here, jumping from progressive hard rock (familiar territory for any Porcupine Tree fan, best showcased here in the opening track and single “Harmony Korine”) to noisy industrial to mournful piano ballads without a second thought.

Remarkably, though, all these disparate sounds and genres end up flowing together almost perfectly.  Even though no two consecutive tracks sound quite the same, each song seems to prepare you for the next.  The gently swelling chords and lush harmony of “Veneno Para Las Hadas” serve as a perfect respite from the previous track, the droning and dissonant “Salvaging.”  And the following track, the epic, King Crimson-esque album centerpiece “No Twilight Within The Courts Of The Sun,” somehow makes perfect sense.  And so on, all the way through the gorgeous album closer and title track, featuring only delicate piano, Wilson’s layered vocal harmonies, and a Japanese 17-string bass koto.  As soon as it’s over, you’ll want to go back and soak in every detail again.

Of course, Wilson had help from numerous other musicians in the making of Insurgentes.  Bass-playing legend Tony Levin sits in on a few tracks, Dream Theater keyboard master Jordan Rudess contributes his piano skills, and long-time Wilson collaborator Gavin Harrison’s drumming shines throughout.  But some of the most beautiful moments here are those in which Wilson is performing nearly alone, exposed and vulnerable, as he is on the final track.  Insurgentes is a surprising album.  It’s incredibly varied in texture and musical approach, and it’s downright weird at times.  But it’s a rich and rewarding album, and any fan of forward-thinking music owes it to themselves to seek it out and listen.

4/5

Standout Tracks:

• “Insurgentes”
  
• “No Twilight Within The Courts Of The Sun”
  
• “Significant Other”
  
• “Harmony Korine”