Label: Virgin Records
Release date: September 29, 2023
Production: Steven Wilson
Album length: 64.05 min.
Genre: Progressive Rock/Art Rock
Rating: 9.0/10
The progressive rock world could barely hold back a cheer when Steven Wilson, a leading figure of modern experimental rock and the mastermind of cult band Porcupine Tree, announced a new solo album called “The Harmony Codex”. Of course, the guessing started right away: would the new solo project carry on the sonic direction of its predecessor “The Future Bites” (2021, RockLine review), which flirted with synthpop and electronic influences, or would it move back closer to the ‘traditional’ progressive rock that Steven more or less ‘nurtured’ on “Closure/Continuation” (2022, RockLine review), the latest effort from the recently ‘revived’ Porcupine Tree.
Anyone who knows Steven’s musical philosophy won’t be the least bit surprised that “The Harmony Codex” is a very different, far more eclectic beast than its more ‘pop’-leaning predecessor. At times it feels like a collage of different influences, or a compilation of the whole body of work of this superb musician, composer and producer, and like a logical evolutionary step forward on his solo path.
Fans of eclecticism will find plenty to be happy about while listening to “The Harmony Codex”, especially those who feared Steven would wade even deeper into synthpop waters with this one, or slide into over-the-top sonic commercialization. Despite the return of the Mellotron toward the end of the album, most of the tracks don’t sound like traditional progressive rock, since the lion’s share of the new material is dominated by the minimalism of electronic textures. “The Harmony Codex” is a true hybrid of various, mostly experimental influences from the seventies and eighties, both inside and outside the prog rock world, which Steven has never been ashamed of.
Maybe this time there’s a smidge more ambient-instrumental material than usual, as if Steven had been listening to a lot of Tangerine Dream lately. Of course, a whole legion of prestigious musicians guested on individual tracks, with Steven’s old pals like Adam Holzman, Craig Blundell, Nick Beggs and Theo Travis standing out the most, while this time he also worked with Guy Pratt and Pat Mastelotto for the first time.
Any last doubts that “The Harmony Codex” is a completely different animal from its predecessor melt away with the opener “Inclination”, which ranks among the most experimental things in Steven’s career and where you can pick out all sorts of electronic, jazz and world music elements. Still and turbulent ambient passages trade places harmoniously, while Steven’s vocal only drops in after the three-minute mark. The closing guitar sounds sound like they came straight out of Robert Fripp’s school of mathematical guitar. ‘Mere mortals’ will find it easier to wrap their heads around the somewhat more accessible, mostly acoustic, harmony-driven treat “What Life Brings”, on which Steven once again reminds us of his incredible musical versatility. Perhaps it’s precisely a certain sonic kinship with some of the unforgettable Pink Floyd’s work that’s the main reason the aforementioned Pratt played bass on this track.
The blend of indescribable nostalgia and stunning melancholy that rules “Economies of Scale” with the help of carefully chosen minimalist electronic patterns will be well known to all fans of Steven and his work, but this time too it hits you with an icy atmosphere and a socially critical message. Without a doubt one of the highlights of the new album, which isn’t surprising considering Holzman co-wrote this one.
“Impossible Tightrope” turns out great as well, a real treat for all lovers of prog rock eclecticism. The first part wins you over with Steven’s clever guitar passages and a fantastic saxophone solo courtesy of Travis. After that come majestic multi-part harmonies, while an almost ‘mathematical’ sequence of guitar phrases is somewhat reminiscent of King Crimson. Everyone who feared in recent years that Steven would turn into a pop rocker, or get stuck sonically somewhere in the new wave eighties, has in this track the ultimate proof that he hasn’t been in such an experimental mood in ages and that he still loves to lend an ear to ‘old-school’ seventies prog rock.
On “Rock Bottom”, Steven’s old acquaintance, Israeli singer Ninet Tayeb, returns as the lead vocalist, not merely as backing, having previously worked with him on the albums “Hand. Cannot. Erase” (2015, RockLine review) and “4½“ (2016, RockLine review). Ninet also wrote this unusual, slightly ‘soulful’ track, while Steven’s guitar solo would have won the approval of David Gilmour too. “Beautiful Scarecrow” is another distinctly ambient-leaning piece, featuring a string of gorgeous orchestral arrangements and subtler touches of electronics and world music, all led by Steven’s traditionally melancholic vocal. It would probably appeal to someone like Peter Gabriel too, who has also been surprising us lately with excellent new songs.
With its pronounced ambient minimalism, repeating chords and spoken word courtesy of Steven’s wife Rotem, the title track is surely one of the strangest pieces of Steven’s career so far. “Time Is Running Out” is a kind of hybrid between Steven’s traditional prog rock songwriting style and the distinctly electronic direction he’s been (again) drawn toward over the last few years. “Actual Brutal Facts” is even more electronic, and it could have landed on the previous album if it weren’t for its decidedly dark ambient nature, which at times recalls the usual background music of a nightclub owned by the Russian mafia, while the closing guitar solo probably sounds deliberately schizophrenic and ‘scattered’. The closing “Staircase”, which also flirts with electronics, but in a much more subtle way, features an excellent guitar solo and a really good atmosphere, especially around the halfway mark when the nostalgic vocal harmonies kick in.
“The Harmony Codex” is a codex of harmonious eclecticism in the truest sense of the words. Steven has once again served up a deconstruction of most of the expectations of his longtime followers, who often have wildly different ideas about what the ‘ideal’ Wilson solo record should sound like, or hold completely opposite views on which direction modern progressive rock should take. With its unpredictable sound, which dodges conventionality of any kind, it will surely, just like its predecessor, split the fanbase into two camps: one part will see “The Harmony Codex” as a contender for prog rock album of the year, while the rest will mourn Steven’s past solo efforts, which weren’t so far removed from what he once created with Porcupine Tree. “The Harmony Codex” is not an album for prog purists, but an album for music gourmets.
Author: Peter “Dr. ProgRock” Podbrežnik
Tracklist:
1. Inclination (7:16)
2. What Life Brings (3:39)
3. Economies of Scale (4:18)
4. Impossible Tightrope (10:44)
5. Rock Bottom (4:25)
6. Beautiful Scarecrow (5:21)
7. The Harmony Codex (9:50)
8. Time Is Running Out (3:59)
9. Actual Brutal Facts (5:06)
10. Staircase (9:27)
Lineup:
Steven Wilson – vocals, guitars, keyboards, sampling, bass guitar, percussion, programming
Guest musicians:
Ninet Tayeb – lead vocals (no. 5), guitar (no. 5), backing vocals (nos. 1, 2)
David Kolar – lead guitar (nos. 1, 9), ambient guitar (no. 4)
Lee Harris – psychedelic guitar (no. 4)
Niko Tsonev – guitar (nos. 1, 4, 10), lead guitar (nos. 5, 8, 10)
Ben Colleman – violin (no. 4)
Guy Pratt – bass guitar (no. 2)
Nick Beggs – Chapman stick (nos. 6, 10)
Nate Navarro – ‘fretless’ bass guitar (no. 1), bass guitar (no. 9)
Pat Mastelotto – drums (no. 1), percussion (no. 1)
Craig Blundell – drums (nos. 2, 5, 6, 10), percussion (nos. 6, 9)
Sam Fogarino – drums (no. 10)
Nate Wood – drums (no. 4)
Jason Cooper – tom tom (no. 6)
Theo Travis – flute (no. 1), saxophone (no. 4), duduk (no. 6)
Adam Holzman – keyboards
Jack Dangers – keyboards (no. 6), programming (no. 9)
Nils Petter Molvaer – trumpet (no. 1)
David Kosten – programming (nos. 1, 10)
Rotem Wilson – voices (nos. 7, 10)
