By the time Steven Wilson (songwriter, producer, singer, guitarist behind Porcupine Tree) had released his 4th solo album Hand.Cannot.Erase, he was riding an impressive wave of releases which included the prog masterpiece ‘The Raven That Refused To Sing’ just a few years prior. But it would be the brilliant Hand.Cannot.Erase. that would further elevate his status as one of the leader’s of this era of progressive rock.
A true concept album, it is based on the story of Joyce Vincent who was found after being dead in her apartment for 2 years. This can make for some dark moments but Wilson finds a way of encapsulating the entire story of the young woman’s life, providing moments of endearment, love, remembrance, loss and intensity all within the flow of the album. Musically, the album covers a lot of territory from parts sounding like Porcupine Tree and Opeth to Pop and Electronica.
From the exquisite harmony-laden “3 Years Older” to the gut-wrenching sadness of “Routine” to the prog bombast of “Ancestral” this album shows the many sides of Steven Wilson. Along with outstanding musical performances from Guthrie Govan, Marco Minnemann, Nick Beggs, Adam Holzman, Ninet Tayeb, Dave Gregory, and Theo Travis, this is a modern classic that will be listened to for generations to come.
Tracklisting:
-
- “First Regret/3 Years Older” 12:19
- “Hand Cannot Erase” 4:13
- “Perfect Life” 4:43
- “Routine” 8:58
- “Home Invasion/Regret #9” 11:32
- “Transience” 2:43
- “Ancestral” 13:30
- “Happy Returns/Ascendant Here On…” 7:32
Steven Wilson – lead vocals, mellotron, keyboards, guitars, bass
Guthrie Govan – lead guitar
Nick Beggs – bass, Chapman Stick
Adam Holzman – keyboards, piano
Marco Minnemann – drums, percussion
Ninet Tayeb – vocals
Dave Gregory – guitars
Theo Travis – flute, saxophone
