Porcupine Tree - Fear of a Blank Planet

Fear of a Blank Planet is shorter than the last couple Porcupine Tree albums, and a bit more proggy in its leanings. It has only six tracks, although one is over seventeen minutes long. They've always been a progressive band, but generally a little catchier, with some more accessible songs. There are a couple moments like this on Blank Planet, but it generally doesn't stray far from its standard sound. The album's a bit heavy-handed with the message. It's about how today's youth are basically brainwashed by the media and prescription drugs, which is maybe topical but not really that edgy a thing to say, so it comes off a bit lame. There's also a bit of dullness to some of the lyrics that try to relate to the message. It's not bad, it just doesn't take the band to new places and is a bit of a disappointment.

"Fear of a Blank Planet" sticks closely to the theme as you might expect of a title track, and is a reasonably good song. It flows right into "My Ashes" which has a shift in perspective and a softer tone. It's pleasant, but not terribly interesting musically. "Anesthetize" is the long focal point of the album, with several different movements, varying between louder and quieter parts. "Sentimental" is another quiet song. Porcupine Tree just doesn't rock as hard as they have previously. The chorus of "Way Out of Here" goes a long way to make up for some of the record's other shortcomings. By itself, it's really not too amazing, it just grabs your attention and makes it seem like the album isn't quite so boring. "Sleep Together" has a string section and other such elements that add to the attempted grandiosity that comes with this sort of music, but it's too little too late. If you're a fan of the band you'll find some stuff to like, but I would recommend In Absentia or Deadwing to a new listener first.