Always in search of new musical horizons, 'Steven Wilson' is releasing a new album which should still share the fans because I quote Steven (nice interview from 'La Grosse Radio.com' here : "Initially, I really wanted to compose an album that could reflect the style of 2020… My first solo albums were very nostalgic: 'To the Bone' reflected the 80s, 'The Raven That Refused to Sing' the 70s. I wanted an album anchored in the present, modern and new. To achieve this, I had to detach myself of the traditional combo : guitar, bass, drums and relying more on electro.".
And indeed, the least we can say is that this new baby of the Englishman is entirely turned towards modern sounds and for all who are attracted by traditional rock instruments, 'THE FUTURE BITES' is indeed at the antipodes of his other projects and may shock some but, if we go back and explore its impressive musical career, we say to ourselves that each release brings its share of surprises and, that for anyone open to different musical styles, he has been one of the most active musical pioneers since the beginning of the 90s. We are therefore navigating a new 'Wilsonian' universe made up of synthesizers and rhythm machines with a criticism of our consumer society and of this lack of real communication due to social networks which isolate us a little more every day, and this begins, after the hushed introduction 'Self', with 'Unself', which sets the scene for this modern electro universe with a chorus repeating the same musical phrase and with light and playful female choirs, then, 'King Ghost', while keeping a decidedly contemporary aspect with an electronic rhythm, highlights the head voice of 'Steven Wilson' in a vaporous atmosphere. '12 Things | Forgot 'brings us back to a more conventional' Steven Wilson 'with all the pop influences of the 70s Englishman coming out in a composition that could have found its place on a 'Blackfield' album. With 'Eminent Sleaze', I have the impression of hearing a mix between the current electro sounds and melodic lines of the 80s disco and 'Man Of the People' returns to an aerial pop where we find the Wilson more intimate and we are finally not so far from some compositions of 'To The Bone'. The longest track of the album arrives with 'Personal Shopper' which was the subject of a first single and which made discover this new universe of the Englishman and is a kind of rather improbable meeting between the electro and the progressive one in which the consumer society is scrutinized and in which 'Elton John' makes a most singular appearance as he lends his voice to spell out a shopping list. With 'Follower', even if the electronic side is still very present, we return to familiar ground with the use of the electric guitar and 'Count of Unease' concludes the album in a way offset from the rest with a atmospheric composition as if 'Steven Wilson' already wanted to tell us that the stylistic path taken on this album will be called into question again on its next releases.
In summary, in my last column, I compared 'Steven Wilson' to 'David Bowie' and this new album confirms me again in this idea that he is the Bowie of the 2000s with his different faces that make a perpetual researcher of new musical horizons and, even if some will not manage to adhere to this new opus, 'THE FUTURE BITES' shows a resolutely modern facet but also quite confusing which will make it one of the albums certainly the most controversial of the English but who also shows that he will undoubtedly continue, for our greatest happiness, to amaze us in the future by making us discover other musical universes... | |
