Listening to a new Steven Wilson album is always a very special experience for me. A moment I eagerly anticipate, wondering what he will bring us this time. I like to take the time to listen to it carefully from start to finish, appreciating not only the compositions but also the excellent sonic quality that characterizes each of his musical productions.
I believe that, worldwide, there is currently no more interesting musical artist than Steven Wilson. His music is complex, detailed, filled with emotion, creative, and deliberately free from commercial orientation.
The Harmony Codex is his seventh solo album (following a long career with Porcupine Tree). A notable evolution can be traced, where Wilson has explored everything from progressive rock with various nuances to pop and electronic music. However, without a doubt, The Harmony Codex stands as his most experimental album to date.
In general, the compositions that make it up do not follow a traditional identifiable structure (like intro-verse-chorus). Instead, they consist of repetitive, quasi-dronelike rhythms as a base, formed by electronic elements, sometimes even slightly distorted, reminiscent of an industrial sound. Over these rhythms, Wilson adds beautiful, emotive, melancholic, and sometimes even playful parts, using a variety of instruments, including keyboards, guitars, analog synthesizers, and of course, his own voice.
At times, these rhythms disappear, giving way to brief showcases of pure moments of the softer and silkier musical elements. It’s a delicate balance that never overwhelms toward any extreme. Wilson is a true musical master and knows exactly what he’s doing.
The only song that seems to deviate from this scheme is “What Life Brings,” with its relatively gentle pop-rock rhythm and an acoustic guitar strumming chords as the main instrument.
“Impossible Tightrope,” an instrumental track, also the longest on the album, strongly reminds me of Camel’s music but filtered through The Harmony Codex’s electronic aesthetic. Knowing Wilson’s devotion to 70s progressive rock, I am convinced that this Camel-like sound is intentional.
As has been customary since his album Hand. Cannot. Erase., he is joined in some songs by the Israeli singer Ninet Tayeb. At this point, her voice is already part of the genetic makeup of Steven Wilson’s albums, and for good reason: her tone is beautiful, and she executes her parts with a lot of emotion, power, and clarity. “Rock Bottom” is the name of the piece where they notably duet, a slow and emotive piece, very much in the style of Pink Floyd.
Considering how dense this album is and its one-hour duration, it is a relatively light and by no means boring experience. No part lingers longer than necessary. In fact, it’s refreshing to listen to such an original and experimental album that must be appreciated from start to finish. It is the antithesis to the current culture of singles.
If someone has never entered the wonderful world of Steven Wilson’s music, I’m not convinced that The Harmony Codex is the right album for their introduction. Nevertheless, I wholeheartedly recommend everyone to give this album a chance and appreciate it for what it is.
