The project began in 1987 inWilson's home studio and by 1993 had expanded into the 4 piece band itis today. "Lightbulb Sun" picks up right where last year's "StupidDream" left off with ten more psychedelic and progressive influencedpop / rock songs. Porcupine Tree's sound is lushly textured, pretty andradio friendly, yet it's much better than most anything you actuallyhear on the radio. Wilson alone plays acoustic and electric guitars,piano, hammered dulcimer, mellotron, banjo, harp, percussion andsamples while the rest of the band fills in with synths, organ, bass,backing vocals and drums, as well as some string arrangements courtesyof Dave Gregory of XTC. The album is very well produced (by Wilson) anddynamic as it flows through gentle ballads, Floydian soundscapes andfull on rock, all with infectious hooks and melodies and a strong'sing-a-long' quality. Wilson's light, lilting voice sings some aboutchildhood and the music business, but wayward love is the dominanttopic. There aren't any particular parts of the music or individualsongs that really stand out, it all works best taken as a whole. It'sbecoming very addictive. My only complaint is the final song "Feel SoLow" seems like an incredibly depressing way to end the album. Theartwork is fantastic with a photo of a young boy holding a blazinglightbulb and the inside of the insert is also well done with fullcolor photos and all the lyrics. Porcupine Tree will be opening forDream Theater in October and the third and final single from this albumfor "The Rest Will Flow" is due out later this year ...samples:
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