Putting out new material that still packs a punch after founding in 1999 is without doubt a challenging move. Although, to say you’re releasing an eleventh studio album must be quite something for prog rockers The Pineapple Thief as they release ‘Your Wilderness’. Edging closer to being twenty years in the making, it’s interesting to see how far they’ve come since vocalist Bruce Soord founded this fruity name as a “musical outlet” until 2002 when the band came together. Often thrown at the easy comparison to giants such as Radiohead and Muse, The Pineapple Thief continue to forge their way to join that iconic list of names with their ongoing creative growth.
‘In Exile’ greets us with Soord’s distinctive ethereal vocals and most notably the addition of Gavin Harrison’s (The Porcupine Tree) drum work which creates a perfect blend alongside the intricately placed moments of lead guitar. In ‘No Man’s Land’ it’s easy to compare Soord’s voice to Thom Yorke’s. Voicing airy echoes, this atmospheric track draws on the wilderness indeed.
‘Tear You Up’ opens with heavier influences, Harrison’s nifty drumming being the key point, later growing in aggression with a crunching guitar accompaniment. ‘That Shore’ draws on electronic production elements and is tranquil but equally haunting. ‘The Final Thing On Your Mind’ nears ten minutes long and the instrumentation and vocals are breathtakingly layered and resonant, while ‘Where We Stood’ closes the record with the soft, melodic guitar work being the centrepiece.
‘Your Wilderness’ is a great reminder of their consistency of quality but willingness to experiment at the same time. A melancholy journey both lyrically and musically through a vast empty space which will either have you deep in thought or zoned out entirely. It’ll be interesting to see where The Pineapple Thief go from here after so long. There’s definitely no signs of stopping!
4/5
’Your Wilderness’ by The Pineapple Thief is out now on Kscope.
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Words by Phoebe Messenger (@kangaezu_ni
