Hand. Cannot. Erase Steven Wilson 2015 Review
If you say you're into Progressive Rock today, you must have heard of Steven Wilson or at the least, Porcupine Tree. Although, I won't be surprised if you've heard of him even though you don't listen to Progressive Rock. That mostly is because of Wilson's body of work and success he has achieved in the music industry today.
Steven Wilson is a grammy nominated English musician and producer and is known for his association with Progressive Rock giants - Porcupine Tree which by the way began as a solo project for him. Over the years, Porcupine Tree has faded into the background and Steven Wilson has focussed on his solo career with a new band.
Hand. Cannot. Erase is his fourth solo album which released on 27th Feb, 2015. Hand. Cannot. Erase was recorded at AIR Studios, London, U.K and at Steven Wilsons No Man's Land studio. It was written, produced and mixed by Steven Wilson. With more than 10 musicians on the album plus a choir and an orchestra featured on some tracks, this is a fantastic album that showcases musicianship, songwriting and dynamism.
I dissected the album into four main areas which I will discuss briefly.
If you're familiar with Steven Wilson's body of work then you'll know that all Steven Wilson albums have top notch production quality. Hand. Cannot. Erase is no different. Steven Wilson as always, has delivered to the vibe of this album excellently. With the perfect mix of modern production elements and a throwback to the 1970's/80's sonic spectrum of Rock and Pop, Hand. Cannot. Erase appeals to the uber critical to the average listener with ease.
Throughout the album, the instruments sit well in the sweet spot with the bass and kick drum having just the right amount of compression and tones and acquiring just the perfect amount of space. The importance of these two elements sitting well above in the mix and letting the track breathe is showcased particularly on the title track 'Hand. Cannot. Erase'. Dynamically, the album follows a more modern approach to the mix compared to 'The Raven That Refused To Sing'. This obviously also is because both the albums are poles apart in terms of concept which radically changes how production as a whole was approached.
Hand. Cannot. Erase is an extremely pleasurable listening experience when we talk about composition. Arrangement wise, this album is very groovy with a strong focus on melodic content. With many bridges and interludes, Hand. Cannot. Erase is smothered with hauntingly beautiful harmonies and solos. This makes this album particularly easy to digest for anyone who hasn't yet forayed into the Progressive Rock realm which is known for it's long, winding and off beat patterns edging - towards - the - jazz - style of - songwriting. This offering by Steven Wilson is an approachable Progressive Rock album which many can enjoy if given a chance.
Of course, being a Progressive Rock artist, Steven Wilson does show off his expertise in songs such as 'Home Invasion/Regret#9' which starts off with syncopated guitars and drums in the style of Progressive Metal' but with far less gain and in Standard E and 6 strings hah! Elements and surprises such as these really make this album shine since what follows are hummable melodies and tappable grooves. Steven Wilson himself said that 'solos are a big part of this record' and this album delivers on all fronts. My personal favourite solo being 'Regret#9'. This particular features ex Miles Davis' keyboard player Adam Holzman on a Hammond B3 and Moog and Guthrie Govan representing the Six String Army.
Since the album is based on a concept, all lyrics on the album relate to the concept itself. According to Steven Wilson, The basic story, or concept of the record – it's about a woman growing up, who goes to live in the city, very isolated, and she disappears one day and no one notices. There's more to it than that. Now, what's really interesting about this story is that your initial reaction when you hear a story like that is, 'Ah, little old bag lady that no one notices, no one cares about.' [Vincent] wasn't [like that]. She was young, she was popular, she was attractive, she had many friends, she had family, but for whatever reason, nobody missed her for three years"
The album follows the concept pretty rigidly where the album begins in a 'hopeful' mood but then progresses to a more 'isolated', 'indulgent' zone which is when the progressiveness of the album also starts to kick in. Hand. Cannot. Erase is an album based on the modern day lifestyle in the 21st Century and thus makes it instantly relatable to most of us who spend hours every day online. Steven Wilson with guest vocalists (Katherine Jenkins and Ninet Tayeb) deliver on the vocal front duties with beautifully phrased vocal lines throughout the record. 'Transcience' features one of my favourite choruses.
With the album dealing with a completely different subject than 'The Raven That Refused To Sing', it was always wrong to compare Hand. Cannot. Erase with the earlier record. Yet, there were many that jumped on the bandwagon to form opinions of this album when the first single was released. To them, this album should be nothing more than a punch in their face for being judgemental. To those who were patient, this album serves as a reminder that among us, lives a legend who time and time again has provided us with awe inspiring moments without fail. And to those who aren't yet in the circle, an invitation to join the club.
Hand. Cannot. Erase is a clever, approachable progressive rock album by a giant that should not be missed. With moments of serenity, turbulence, genuinely skilled musicianship & songwriting excellence, Steven Wilson reminds us once again of his artistry and virtuosity.
