Porcupine Tree - In Absentia (Audio CD - 2002)

After a quarter-century of punk and postmodern excesses, it's always something of a surprise to find young musicians who not only recall a past era's musical indulgences, but also revel in them. This Lava Records debut is the latest fruit of Porcupine Tree mainstay Steven Wilson's obsession with prog, a mania that dates to the late '80s when the "band" was little more than a fantasy. But that pipedream eventually became a real "alt prog" cult fave, with these dozen ambitious songs finding a focus that occasionally eluded the band on half-hour soundscapes. But the collection is also a strong statement of another crucial Wilson/Porcupine retro-sensibility: The album has unified musical statement. While the band's instrumental prowess sometimes slums its way into the free-form jazz noodling of past efforts, the album remains one of the band's fullest achievements.
Condition: NEW.

TRACK LISTING

1 Blackest Eyes 4:23
2 Trains 5:57
3 Lips of Ashes 4:39
4 The Sound of Muzak 4:59
5 Gravity Eyelids 7:57
6 Wedding Nails 6:34
7 Prodigal 5:32
8 3 5:26
9 The Creator Has a Mastertape 5:21
10 Heartattack in a Lay By 4:16
11 Strip the Soul 7:22
12 Collapse the Light into Earth 5:54