Don't get me wrong, Porcupine Tree's latest full album, titled Fear of a Blank Planet
, is an excellent one. But for some reason, I haven't been drawn to it as much as I have been so to Deadwing
and In Absentia
, their two previous albums. Maybe it's the subject of the album that depresses me a little bit...
, is an excellent one. But for some reason, I haven't been drawn to it as much as I have been so to Deadwing and In Absentia, their two previous albums. Maybe it's the subject of the album that depresses me a little bit...
But now they have released Nil Recurring
, which is sort of a companion EP to Blank Planet. If I recall correctly, Steve Wilson, the leader of Porcupine Tree, did not want Blank Planet to be too long an album. It clocks in at 50 minutes, and it is fine like that. Would they have added the content of Nil Recurring, not only the album would have been too long, but it wouldn't have fit on a single CD... But anyway, back to the music... I admit that I've enjoyed Nil Recurring more than Blank Planet. I could say it's short and sweet, in a positive way. It has the typical Porcupine Tree signature sounds of the few latest albums, which is more mainstream than what they used to do before that. It has those mellow parts and heavy parts, catchy melodies and complex rhythms, and spacey feels. The guest electric violinist added a very nice touch as well.
, which is sort of a companion EP to Blank Planet. If I recall correctly, Steve Wilson, the leader of Porcupine Tree, did not want Blank Planet to be too long an album. It clocks in at 50 minutes, and it is fine like that. Would they have added the content of Nil Recurring, not only the album would have been too long, but it wouldn't have fit on a single CD... But anyway, back to the music... I admit that I've enjoyed Nil Recurring more than Blank Planet. I could say it's short and sweet, in a positive way. It has the typical Porcupine Tree signature sounds of the few latest albums, which is more mainstream than what they used to do before that. It has those mellow parts and heavy parts, catchy melodies and complex rhythms, and spacey feels. The guest electric violinist added a very nice touch as well.So needless to say, I ended up listening to this EP more often than the full album. Usually an EP from a band is more targeted to the fans, but this EP, which is almost 30 minutes in length, I would say is actually a good introduction to the band, for those who do not know them, as much as a 'for fans' item.
My rating: ****½
