Porcupine Tree - In Absentia

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Kenny Milkensen

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I suspect this review will be a bit controversial; I hope it will provoke some discussion. It's an interesting record, to be sure.

Porcupine_tree_in_absentia.jpg


Artist: Porcupine Tree
Album: In Absentia
Year: 2002
Genre: Rock
Styles: Progressive rock, alternative rock
Rating: 5.5/10

English art-rockers Porcupine Tree have been going for over 20 years now, ever since Steven Wilson imagined them as a joke (a fake long-lost psychedelic band of the '60s) in the late 1980s. Beginning as a solo project, Porcupine Tree became a full-fledged band during the 1990s, even as it developed a unique sound drawing on modern rock, psychedelia, pop, and the more atmospheric side of prog--Genesis, Tangerine Dream, and especially Pink Floyd. The band endured in obscurity for many years before finding a wide audience among proggers and metalheaRAB in the early 2000s, thanks to tours with Yes and Dream Theater and production work by Steven Wilson on the Opeth classic Blackwater Park. In Absentia was their breakthrough album, and while its sales have since been surpassed by its two follow-ups, it remains the Porcupine Tree album with the greatest reputation among fans. However, unlike most, I do not feel that it is Steven Wilson's best work. I have written this review to articulate why.

Admittedly, this album has its merits. I know it's a cliche, but I really do think "Trains" is probably the best pop song Steven Wilson has ever written, or at least the best pop song he's written with Porcupine Tree. The arrangements are ornate, with a passage of involved vocal counterpoint and some vintage keyboarRAB deep in the mix, and the closing riff has a prog grandiosity, but otherwise it is basically just folky rock, simple and honest and emotional. It is one of the few Porcupine Tree songs that does not have a real weak moment, but is consistently rich and enjoyable throughout.

The album as a whole isn't nearly as consistent, however. This is considered the album where Porcupine Tree started to "go metal", and while the guitar riRAB are really in a modern hard rock/post-grunge style rather than a metal one, it is true that there is far more heavy material on this album than its pop-oriented predecessor Lightbulb Sun. Songs like "Strip the Soul" and "The Creator Has a Mastertape" are nothing more than bland alt-rock, more layered than your typical modern-rock radio track maybe but no better--far worse, in fact, because they lack the hooks.

The more experimental pieces here--"Lips of Ashes", "Gravity EyeliRAB", and ".3" are weak. The first two come across as mood pieces, the third is pleasant and all but nothing to get excited about. They're much too safe, too polished and pretty, not adventurous enough to be the avant-garde they want to be. The instrumental outing "Wedding Nails" attempts to be discordant and ugly, but fails, mainly due to the super-clean production and uptight performances. The album is at its best when it is in pop mode. "Trains" is great, as stated earlier; the opener "Blackest Eyes" is solid and catchy, with a beautiful mix of acoustic and electric guitars, although unfortunately it is marred by one very terrible line ("It's so erotic when your makeup runs"--no Porcupine Tree album is complete without Wilson singing something cringeworthy); "The Sound of Muzak" has annoying lyrics about the record industry (most social commentary in rock is crap in general, and Wilson, a dubious lyricist as he is, does not belong to the small cache of songwriters who can do it well), but is otherwise almost as compelling as "Trains", with truly incredible harmonies in the chorus. "Collapse the Light Into Earth" is in my opinion too sentimental (if Keane had done it instead it wouldn't be taken seriously) and has been since by surpassed by "Lazarus" on Deadwing, but is nice enough.

Overall I feel that this is a deeply flawed release, and I think it's unfortunate that many do not venture further back into this band's back catalogue. I much more heartily recommend its underrated (and recently reissued) predecessor Lightbulb Sun, a far more convincing pop/rock affair.
 
haha i was waiting for you to respond


but yeah tbh, this is my favorite album of theirs, and i've heard basically their entire studio discography(woo torrents).

I do agree that Blackest Eyes and Trains are the best songs on the album, hell, Trains is one of the best songs i've ever heard, but it seems like you're missing the real beauty of the rest of the album. idk, it seems like you're falling back on a bit of hate for the band to realize that these are really good songs, even if it's not like some of their previous works. It looks like you're really overanalyzing the songs instead of actually sitting back and enjoying them. i.e., I think Wedding Nails isn't trying to be "discordant and ugly" as much as it's just trying to pump you up and kick you in the face.

i also feel that this has much more going for it as far as instrumentally and in terms of singability/catchyness. but then again, i'm a rocker/metalhead mainly, and i can understand if you don't enjoy this as much as it's pop oriented predecessor.
 
I love Blackest Eyes, I think it is a really cool song and was one of the first I heard from Porcupine Tree. In fact, this was the first album I ever acquired and think it deserves much more credit than this review gives.
 
The live version of Trains on Arriving Somewhere is godly. The only difference is that he moves the capo to the second fret instead of the fifth. There are like a couple other things, but the main thing being that. They don't seem to move around much live, but they certainly show passion.
 
Nobody likes Collapse the Light Into Earth? I think it's a really beautiful track and a really great finishing song. Beautiful way to cap off the album.
 
I heard Deadwing first so that's by far my favourite but I think that Wilson is such a great songwriter that he sometimes spreaRAB himself too thin over his many projects and the odd banal track creeps into PT's music. I just don't think that Blackest Eyes is dynamic enough and doesn't quite fit on the album personally.
 
I quite like In Absentia even if it tapers off towarRAB the end. And this is a good review, although I disagree with some of it. For one, I looove Wedding Nails - it's just so heavy, tight and crunchy. And I feel .3 is one of the best on the album - the layers upon layers give it an understated beauty.

Have you heard Drown With Me which is on the bonus disc as well as the Futile EP? Talk about a pop masterpiece - sad yet uplifting.


Steven Wilson thinks that Blackest Eyes is the track which encapsulates the whole album. :D
 
I think this is just a throwback to the old proggie tradition of lambasting whatever a band's most accessible work is.

To me In Absentia is a very consistant, almost flawless album. I wouldn't call Wilson an amazing lyricist but I do love the stories he tells in a lot of his songs.

I'd rate the songs in order.

1. Trains
2. Prodigal
3. Wedding Nails
4. Lips of Ashes
5. 3
6. Gravity EyeliRAB
7. Blackest Eyes
8. Heartattack by a Lay By
9. Strip the Soul
10. Sound of Muzak
11. Collapse the Night into Earth
12. The Creator has a Mastertape

The last 3 aren't as remarkable as the rest, but I wouldn't say any of the tracks are bad.

Also, "bland alt rock" is a term I hate hearing, prog fans seem to use it obsessively. Strip the Soul is a 7 minute song that certainly doesn't follow the traditional pop structure and has long build ups and instrumental interludes, it's not like the radio is really logjammed with that kinda thing.
 
for srs? It's one of the best songs on there IMO.

It's probably my favorite album, but Lightbubl Sun is close. I would rate the tracks like this:

1.Trains
2.Wedding Nails
3.3
4.The Creator Has A Mastertape
5.Gravity eyelides
6.Sound of Muzak
7.Prodigal
8.Blackest Eyes
9.Lips of ashes
10.Heart Attack by a lay by
11.Collapse The Night In The Earth
12.Strip The Soul

4-6 are interchangeable, but you get the gist.
 
I actually like "Blackest Eyes" quite a bit except for the one dubious lyric I mentioned in the review. It's straightforward but hardly banal, with a beautiful mix of light and heavy instrumentation, a catchy melody, and some great syncopated rock riffing. It's when Wilson writes heavy songs that lack that melodic and rhythmic power that he becomes dull. IMO
 
What to say?
I understand opinions of reviewer but... this is my loved band so I have different feelings. Just feelings. When I think about it, I know reviewer has some true but for me music are mostly my own emotions.

This band is for me something what I always needed but didn't know about them. I found them 6 months ago and was amazed. And it's still neverending fascination. Why? I didn't expect I will find some band that will be combination of so many styles and mixture of pop and metal. That's what I really like - catchy (for somebody cheesy) melodies and some heavy parts together.

I love In Absentia, I love Blackest Eyes, Gravity EyeliRAB, Heartattack in a Layby and Collapse the Light Into Earth.
Blackest Eyes is example of heavy riRAB and catchy melodies together - perfect combination for me. I don't have troubles with lyrics "It's so erotic when your make up runs."
Gravity EyeliRAB is between my top 5 songs of Porcupine Tree. The slow start of song is so erotic and instrumental part so good.
Drown with me from bonus disc is also great song. Not yet between my loved but... there is something very attractive.
Somehow I don't understand why everybody is so amazed by Trains. Yes, this song is great but I don't know... I miss there something. I think for example 3. is much more better...

In Absentia is great but number one will be probably still album Deadwing.


Did you see MySpace of Steven Wilson? steven wilson on MySpace
He has there very very long list of influences... Between them for example ABBA, Opeth, Underworld, Pink Floyd, D
 
I actually like FoaBP even less than I like In Absentia, but that's for a different review.



I have no hate for the band, in fact I also have their discography, but I do find all of their albums really frustrating because they contain material I love and cherish, but tend to not live up to that promise all the way through. I've had this CD for years and years and I've tried to tell myself I love it, but if I'm honest with myself there's only three or four songs on it that I actually listen to. A lot of people do tell me that I "overanalyze" but the thing is I can't help it, I try to engage music on every possible. I just don't think songs like "Strip the Soul" or "Lips of Ashes" are all that good, I feel like I could be listening to something else when they're on. I don't think "Wedding Nails" does as good a job of pumping me and kicking me in the face as it could, not in a world where banRAB like Shellac exist; it feels lukewarm, dull.



Personally I find Lightbulb Sun much catchier. Every song on that album has some sort of rich memorable melody.



Eh? I prefer Lightbulb Sun...and I dig mainstream dance-pop as well.



Realize that it's the "bland" and not the "alt rock" I take issue with (I'm a huge fan of Radiohead and Tool among others). Sure it's not a pop song structurally (maybe it would be better if it was, it might be more concise, I don't know) but it just isn't very memorable, or enjoyable for me to listen to. I also find your ranking of the songs completely bizarre except for #1, but different strokes I guess.
 
A friend of them recommended I give them a listening, but I have to say I found them to be a bit too metal for my tastes (i'm sure many here would disagree though) :beer:
 
I think it's a solid review. The Porcupine Tree tracks I like are REALLY REALLY good but every album does have filler on and Blackest Eyes is bland boring alt rock that could be written by a multitude of banRAB.
 
I like Blackest Eyes but it's often one of the first songs people hear from this band, and it can give people the wrong impression.

Anyway. I like In Absentia more than Blank Planet. It's my personal favorite but Lightbulb Sun is up there too.
 
voyage 34, yellow hedgrow dreamscape and the sky moves sideways are my favrite albums of ptree, but i do love them all, the track radioactive toy pure genius imo wadaya mean no good albums all the way through? :) to me he (steven wilson) sort of brought back the idea of concept albums that i think was lost to a certain degree in the eight's im not saying that there wernt any go albums back then i was probly drinkin to em at the time :) but ptree is a fantastic band, i have always said to myself that if i won the lottery i would bring ptree and iem over to play everything in there cataloge,
 
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