Continuing in the growing commercial vein of their previous releases,
Porcupine Tree
's
In Absentia
may be the most accessible release to ever spew forth from the group. Rolling electronic percussion blends with simple and solid live drumming to provide an understated backbeat as perennial
Tree
leader
Steven Wilson
pastes his complicated
pop
over the proceedings.
Wilson
's ability to bury his layered vocals in mountains of spacy electric guitar without drowning out his fragile lyrics is still a valued feature of the music, and the rare moments of clarity that his vocals display are breathtaking in their power. A reliance on a somewhat
gothic
heavy metal
sound makes for some bizarre moments, especially when held up against his gentler material. The best example of this is the chugging
"Wedding Nails,"
which recalls
Dream Theater
in its grandiose scope without utilizing the same sort of technical wizardry. But
manages to bridge the gap between the various genres he utilizes, creating an environment where his haunting melodies could take a drastic turn at any minute.
also continue their
Radiohead
fascination, although the influence is much less direct than on their last few efforts. Instead, it comes through at odd intervals, like the moments of sparse instrumentation on the otherwise lush
"Heartattack in a Lay By."
Sonically gorgeous and deceivingly complex,
has the most immediate appeal of anything
has released under this moniker up to this point. By keeping the songs at manageable lengths and avoiding the
avant-garde
electronica
flourishes of the band's early days,
has grown into a fully realized
group without cutting any of the elements that also make them an important force in the
neo-prog
movement. ~ Bradley Torreano