First Impressions
This was Blackfield's first output, and though of course it would not have the regular lack of polish most debuts have, since Steven Wilson and Aviv Geffen were already very experienced, I still think this is an impressive album.
To put it simply, imagine Porcupine Tree, with the progressive elements completely removed. It's as if after Lightbulb Sun, they kept their britpop direction as opposed to going crazy with prog metal. And honestly? It's awesome.
The songs here are very simple. Three to four minutes, clear and formulaic structure. But that absolutely does not take away from how good they are. There are genuinely good hooks and riffs here, it's like a mix between Oasis and Nine Inch Nails. I know, wild comparison but I think it holds merit.
I'd say it could've perfectly been a mainstream britpop album, but there are still a lot of artsy things here. The super hard riffs entering halfway through Open Mind and The Hole in Me. The sampling of drums in Scars over a sax solo. And of course the beautiful harmonies that Steven always brings no matter what era he's in and who he's working with. Honestly I'd say those peak right away in the verse of Open Mind, they are just angelic.
They play with production so much here. So many different textures, be it strings, organs, synths. It still has that Steven Wilson sheen of production. Which is actually what I believe him to be best at.
While most songs here are upbeat poppy songs, there are a few wildcards. Some have that undeniable Pink Floyd influence Steve always brings. The best one is Cloudy Now, which genuinely makes me feel like I'm floating in space, it's beautiful. That song along with Hello are definifely the most reminiscent of Porcupine Tree, something around the Sky Falls Sideways era.
And then you have an... cabaret style waltz with The Hole in Me? It's a very strange song, but it's actually one of my favorites. The way that chorus just hits you out of nowhere is just so cathartic.
Just like in later albums there is a clear bigger of number of songs by one rather than the other. But as opposed to those later albums, where Aviv was singing 90% of the time, here most of the songs are Steven's, which really surprised me.
You can tell he was really interested in this project as it was starting. But even when Aviv gets his moments, they do count. Pain is his best song by far, and it works so well because of his voice, and his strange way of singing, it's built around him.
But above all else. Above good production, energy and pacing, what matters the most is super present here. Good songwriting. Every song has a memorable hook, memorable verses, simple and catchy riffs. This is how you do artsy pop-rock right.
The verses of Backfield, Open Mind, Pain, Scars, are imbedded in my brain only after a few listens. It succeeds at the simplicity of songwriting while also having complex production and harmonies, and that's what Blackfield was always meant to be.
Ranking
Blackfield
The Hole in Me
Hello
Open Mind
Cloudy Now
Pain
Scars
Glow
Summer
Lullaby
Rating
8.5/10