Review: Steven Wilson - "The Ovserview"

Before immersing yourself in listening to Steven Wilson's eighth studio albums, “The Ovserview”, a series of precautions must be assimilated that are configured as an indispensable use instructions.

The experience, conceived as an immersive and almost ritual path, invites the listener to let himself be guided by a careful and reflective methodology.

The first directive is that of listening to headphones, in a context of absolute quiet and with a mind ready to welcome unpublished shades. This mode, in accordance with Wilson's reputation as a modern producer par excellence, underlines the value of audio -shade experience. The spatially enriched versions, in Atmos format, constitute the vehicle through which the work is transformed into an all -round sensory experience, capable of revealing intricate sound details.

The second is to devote itself of time: forty-two minutes fragmented in two macro-sections-Objects outlive US and the ovserview-which, although structured continuously, are articulated in fourteen-like segments. This interval, concise and dense, is configured as a temporal microcosm in which the transition from one section to another is orchestrated with skill, as if to remember the uninterrupted flow of a meditative thought.

The third is the last one is to listen to it at night, possibly looking at the sky, a starry sky!

It is a 42 -minute journey based on the so -called 'panoramic effect', according to which astronauts who see the earth from the space undergo a transformative cognitive change, often experimenting with an overwhelming appreciation and perception of beauty and a greater sense of connection with other people and with the earth as a whole. However, not all experiences are positive; Some really see the earth for what it is, insignificant and lost in the vastness of space, and the human race as a species in difficulty. As a reflection of this, the album presents images and stories of life on earth, both good and bad “.

“The Ovrserview” marks Steven Wilson's return to that expansive and progressive music that has contributed to redefining the genre, both in his solo works and in the iconic path of the porcupine Tree. The two main songs of the album stand out for their compositional ambition: each develops through distinctive musical sections that flow continuously, constituting a narrative and sound unicum. The musical palette, which embraces elements from sparkling electronics to post-rock, is revisited with the sober elegance of a contemporary prog, transporting the genre in the beating heart of the current music scene.

Despite the initial idea of a solo recording, the definitive version of The Ovserview benefits from the contribution of the trusted collaborators in the studio: Craig Blundell to percussion, Adam Holzman at keyboards and Randy McSstine on guitars, whose presence is wisely integrated by the Andy Partridge pen of the XTC, who helped to shape the narration of Objects Outlive Us.

The work thus results in a crossroads of experiences and influences, recalling Wilson's overnight luggage eloquently. Among the calls to the classics of the Porcupine Tree, to the enigmatic narrative of The Raven that Refused To Sing, up to the electronic innovations of The Future Bites and the space audio vision of The Harmony Codex of 2023, the album presents itself as an articulated mosaic of references and innovations.

Noteworthy is also the treatment of vinyl versions, specially mastered at half a speed by Miles Showell in Abbey Road, a tribute to analog art that enhances the timbre wealth of the work. To complete the sensory path, the disc is accompanied by a film made by Miles Skarin, a usual collaborator of Wilson, who further enriches the experience with a visual component of refined aesthetic.

The Ovrserview is not just an album: it is an invitation to undertake a sound journey that, through refined and difficult terms, aims to awaken deep reflections on the relationship between the human being and the universe.

In an era where everything is fast and usable immediately Steven Wilson confirms herself an innovator architect of time and sound, capable of weaving unpublished connections and proposing a musical speech that is both intellectual and exciting at the same time.

Score: 8.50

Objects Outlive Us (23.17)
No monkey's paw
The Buddha of the Modern Age
Objects: Meanwhile
The Cicerones
ARK
Cosmic Sons of Toil
No ghost on the moor
Heat Death of the Universe

The Ovserview (18.27)
Perspective
A Beautiful Infinity I
Borrowed Atoms
In Beautiful Infinity II
Infinity Measured in Moments
Permanence