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kScope [Release date: 09.02.24]
The Pineapple Thief have been around since 1999 – initially on the periphery of progressive rock with their early albums on the legendary Cyclops label.
They were chosen to re-launch the now esteemed kScope label with their ‘Tightly Unwound’ album in 2008, and, as they say, the rest is history – as TPT have gone from strength to strength as a musical force.
Fronted by the somewhat introverted, but insanely talented Bruce Soord, the band have taken on the mantle of one of the most musical and intellectual progressive rock outfits around with their last three studio albums ‘Your Wilderness’, ‘Dissolution’ and ‘Versions Of The Truth’ all garnering top reviews.
It is no coincidence that this uptick in the band’s profile among the prog cognoscenti has followed the recruitment of one Gavin Harrison – initially as a session man on ‘Your Wilderness’ and then a full member, and joint songwriter, on ’Dissolution’ and ‘Versions Of The Truth’.
His time as long-term drummer in Porcupine Tree and one of King Crimson’s “three drummers” has elevated his status to one of the finest sticksmen on the planet and his influence is writ large on ‘It Leads To This’ – the band’s 14th studio album – and an album guaranteed to cement their place at prog’s top table.
Pre-Harrison, Soord was taking the band down the melancholic road to prog bliss-out but it seems Gavin has encouraged him to put pedal to the metal here.
Not that ‘It Leads To This’ is a full-on metal blitzkrieg, far from it, but it’s certainly upped the quotient – compare and contrast to Soord’s outstanding chill-out ‘Luminescence’ from 2023.
Of note is the fact that not one of the eight tracks here clocks in at longer than six minutes, but less is more as the band say everything they have to say with no padding – no fifteen minute wig-outs, just solid songwriting allied to outstanding musicianship.
From Steve Kitch’s opening piano motif on ‘Put It Right’ to the acoustic intro and chilled closer ‘To Forget’ (reminiscent to these ears of Oh Wonder’s ‘All We Do’ – used on the TV series ‘Unforgotten’) the album flows beautifully – with power riffing on tracks like ‘Rubicon’, ’The Frost’ and ‘Every Trace Of Us’ being calmed with the haunting keys of ‘All That’s Left’ and piano interludes on ‘Now It’s Yours’.
There’s no getting away from the fact that the influence of Porcupine Tree is occasionally conspicuous on the album – but that’s hardly surprising given Harrison’s tenure in that band and his status as joint songwriter with Soord.
And it’s no bad thing either – Porcupine Tree are a truly great band and only re-surfacing occasionally these days, so no conflicts of interest…
If I was to have a complaint (and it’s a very small one) it’s that the whole thing is relentlessly dystopian and ends up being judged a star lower than ‘Your Wilderness’, ‘Dissolution’ and ‘Versions Of The Truth’ purely on that basis.
Other than that, truly outstanding musically and testament to the fact that talent will out.
****
Review by Alan Jones
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