I heard it...it is and it isn't, great

Supposedly a concept album with a 55 minute song cycle, its really more like 14 songs that are edited and mixed to fade one into the other for a continuous listening experience. I'm not even sure that it really comes off as a concept album...and what is a concept album? I mean, doesn't everyone go into a studio with a concept in mind? A theme? Anyhoo, this theme is very loose; I wouldn't have picked up on it had I not been informed what it was about. I guess in a way, that's a good thing. I hate story albums that come across like dialog set to music. This is definitely not that.

Musically, its a PT album, with a few new twists, but essentially, a continuation of the last few albums, however, this albums does touch upon facets of PT's past album, (just skimming the ambient style). Its as though they were creating a time capsule with this album. The track Time Flies recreates almost identically the guitar riffs to two Pink Floyd songs, Dogs and Sheep (Wilson admits to doing so as a sort of homage). There are short pastoral pieces here and there that are reminiscent of Lightbulb Sun, as well heavier passages we've become accustom to on recent albums. There some extended pieces here but none of the instrumental workouts of the previous two efforts. The aforementioned Time Flies is the longest at 11:41 and is the standout track on the album. Drawing The Line is a song unlike any I've heard from Wilson musically speaking, Its a great song, but a vocally demanding song that I think is just a tad out of Wilson's league.

I have no idea why this album was touted as a 55 minute piece. As a running theme, its not as coherent a statement as FoaBP, but in saying that, this is a more accessible album than that one, so I hope no one was put-off with the notion that this was some lumbering, multi-movement magnum opus, when it is essentially a more song oriented album than FoaBP. As a bonafide PT fanboy, I can't not-buy a PT album. If you were a semi-fan or if you've been on the fence, this release isn't going to help you make up your mind - fresh enough in spots to pique your interest, familiar enough to satisfy a craving, but then a sameness creeps in on the longer passages. Roadrunner Records has really seemed to push this album so it may work, but I can't see this album swaying any detractors. If anything, I see it reinforcing people's indifference for PT. Here's hoping I'm wrong. FWIW, I immediately liked this one better than FoaBP. Time will tell if it has the staying power of the older albums after which its patterned.