This is one of those songs where patience is rewarded. Reaching the most beautiful part requires five minutes of listening. Incidentally, this part also demonstrates how important Richard Barbieri's atmospherics are for the sound of this band. And the groovy 9/8 riff was composed by drummer Gavin Harrison. Truly a band effort.

Funnily enough, the aforementioned Richard Barbieri is the one preventing Steven Wilson from bringing his current-day jazz fusion sound over to Porcupine Tree. And thankfully so -- I can enjoy the slower music Wilson's making as a solo artist, but if I want endless jazzy doodling with 16th notes, and abrupt changes in tempo, key signature, and volume, I'll listen to 70s Genesis.

What mostly annoys me with Wilson in his recent interviews is his repeated statement that he could write The Raven... only because he now has such a capable band behind him. Hello? What about Porcupine Tree? (He might be referring specifically to his skills on the guitar, but this was not clear from the interviews.)

Almost equally annoying is the pretentious statement that, unlike the music of most 70s prog bands, his compositions are completely thematically coherent. If that is so, can anyone tell me, for example, why the (excellent) first 10 minutes of The Watchmaker are coherently followed up by a 1-minute cacophony? I'm overly reminded of Dan Brown's explicit statement at the beginning of each book that everything described is factual, while in fact, following his factual roadmap through Paris would make you end up at the bottom of the Seine. If it ain't so, just don't say it is.

Anyhow, I'm pretty certain PT is not going to release any new material anymore... Pity. 

Lyrics are pretty damning, and the orchestration reflects that well.  I like a lot of this band's stuff.

Nice song!

i <3 porcupine tree! and you rarely hear them on the radio- way to go RP.  keep it up, up up!

 stevendejong wrote: 
Very cool. I'm into odd rhythms and yet didn't notice this before.

 maxmox wrote: 
9/8 and 5/4.

 westslope wrote: 
It is excellent.  Well worth getting.  His US tour is now, and is an evening well spent.

It took a few listens, well a lot of listens but I gotta say the raven that refused to sing is Steve Wilson's finest solo production ever.

Definitely a 10 for me!

I like there stuff after hearing it here to buy several albums.
but it get in the rotation a lot. 

 Deadwing wrote: 
What Deadwing said.

 westslope wrote: 
You won't have to reference anything if you visit the North West coast of Western Australia where Aboriginal people live yesterday/today/tomorrow every day. Practical mysticism.

Time signature on this anyone? Fine clean drumming.

 Beastie wrote: 
Such elegant fury! (sigh)

I never get tired of this...especially cranked up to 11

 Limpopoking wrote: 
Ha! Very good comment!

Touches me deeply...

"Simple like a child you are..."

Lyrics by Yoda. 

 Gaggsy wrote: 
Oh, and a new SW solo album out on Feb 25th https://www.burningshed.com/store/stevenwilson/

 Relayer wrote: 
Not to mention the Noman project and remixes of Jethro Tull etc etc

 Stingray wrote: 
Who are you and what have you done with Stingray?

 horstman wrote: 
Your tablet will have a good life

Wow - I didn't recognize this as Porcupine Tree, and I have this album! Doh! Love the complex/syncopated drumming and the overall moody/brooding feel of this.

I LOVE PORCUPINE TREE!  And you never hear them on the radio.  RP rocks.

So I just added the Radio Paradise widget to my tablet and the first song to play was this. I feel blessed.

Up to 11.