Steven Wilson
„Grace For Drowning“
Black Vinyl, 2 LPs, Limited 2011. Art, Prog, Pop, Jazz Rock.

How much Porcupine Tree, King Crimson and Blackfield is there in Steven Wilson's second solo album? Can SW (Steven Wilson) free himself from his musical socialization and does he even need (or want?) to? First of all: Porcupine Tree has had a huge musical influence on me and I notice that very clearly in this Steven Wilson album. His industriousness and musical creativity are undisputed and so I see this album as an expression of the breadth of Steven Wilson's musical evolution. Be it Blackfield, Porcupine Tree, metal and pop, or all the albums that Steven has remastered for other bands, especially King Crimson.

And so “Grace For Drowning” and the instrumental “Sectarian” begin like Porcupine Tree, only with clarinet (Ben Castle) and soprano saxophone (Theo Travis), which creates a slight King Crimson influence. Do I like that? Yes. “Deform To Form A Star” could have come straight from Blackfield. Pop, good pop, and with its melodic melancholy it could almost make it onto a PT album. “No Part Of Me” surprises me and is my first highlight. “Postcard” is more suited to Blackfield. A ballad with beautifully flowing lyrics. The short “Raider Prelude” leads us to the first longer song, “Remainder The Black Dog.” And that sounds like a Porcupine Tree song with a King Crimson influence! Highlight two and I’m no jazz fan. Steve Hacket can be heard on guitar here. Guest musicians influence the host and that is particularly the case in prog. 

At 23 minutes, "Raider II" is the undisputed long track. I have a hard time with this song. I love the drama and the King Crimson dynamic between very quiet and loud parts, the tension it creates. Great prog. If it weren't for the Crimson jazzy, unmelodic part at the end of the song, it pulls me out of the song. Luckily, this part is relatively short. I like the song, but it certainly won't be my highlight. "Belle De Jour" with its beautiful melody calms us down again. "Index" is highlight number three. The lyrics and music create a dark, surreal mood. Would fit well into PT's psychedelic phase. "Track One" captures me with acoustic guitar and then transitions into a threatening dynamic. It fades back to acoustic towards the end. The whole thing ends with "Just Like Dust I Have Cleared From My Eyes", which suits Blackfield better, even though it still has something of its own and leaves us pleasantly behind.

I won't join in the general hymns of praise for this album. The musical quality of SW is undeniable. I find this album truly exciting in its PT and Blackfield I phases, and I like the light jazzy touch. Steven Wilson is convincing, even if he doesn't invent anything new and doesn't even claim to.

Unfortunately, the vinyl is a negative, and this isn't the first time that some vinyl albums by Wilson or Porcupine Tree have a wave. And this album has a tendency to crackle in the quieter parts. It could be done much better.

The photos are all from my CD. The rights to all motifs, logos, texts and fonts that can be seen in the photos are of course owned by the copyright holder.