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STEVEN WILSON
‘THE FUTURE BITES’
Album Review

(6th February, 2021)

Reviewer – Chris Reid

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“OK Computer for the Amazon age… one of the boldest and best albums Wilson has made” Prog

“The Future Bites is a great, grown-up pop record – knowing and self-aware, but never too much for its own good” Mojo 4*

“A beguiling pop rabbit hole” Uncut 8/10

“Pink Floyd’s Welcome To The Machine if Rick Wright had been given free rein with the synths and Nick Mason had programmed a drum machine” Electronic Sound

“His masterpiece… Wilson’s strongest outing to date” Record Collector

“Wilson has never before paced such a rollercoaster ride into a single album…another triumph” Classic Rock 9/10

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Steven Wilson is an English musician, singer, songwriter and producer. Arguably best known as the  guitarist & lead vocalist for the Progressive Rock band Porcupine Tree, Wilson operates predominately as a solo artist these days.

Progressive music is a wide ranging term. A reputable online encyclopaedia defines Prog music as  music that attempts to expand existing stylistic boundaries associated with specific genres of music. The Future Bites is Wilson’s 6th studio album and whilst it isn’t progressive in the usual ‘Steve Wilson’ sense, there is no doubt that Wilson is exploring styles beyond those that are typically associated with his work – in that regard he’s being progressive in his compositional approach if nothing else.

The collection of songs strike me with a retro aesthetic, punctuated by a heavy use of sythns and 80s sounding drum machine tones. The album is probably best classified as a pop album, but while the songs are concise and the hooks are prevalent there is a subtle underlying complexity to most of the material that should keep Wilson’s fans engaged. Wilson’s guitar isn’t overly prominent, but the album still sounds like a Steve Wilson release due to his recognisable vocals. Lyrically the album is centred around the human condition in the internet era, an almost satirical take on the way humanity operates in 2021. My favourite tracks on the album are 12 Things I Forgot & Personal Shopper but the album is a pretty easy and catchy listen throughout.

Personally I find Wilson’s overtly progressive and darker releases to be more to my liking than The Future Bites, however there is no doubt this is a strong release. Wilson has a rabid fanbase so the release will do well for him, however it’s the sort of album that would do phenomenally well if it was released by a Pop artist – such is life. 

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Follow STEVEN WILSON
Website – Facebook – Twitter – Instagram

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Press Release 29th January 2021 below

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AMNPLIFY – DB