Steven Wilson is one of those artists I can rely on to surprise me with each new musical piece he releases unto the world — and I was certainly surprised by “PERSONAL SHOPPER.”
The musician — often known for his work in the band Porcupine Tree — has never shied away from pushing his artistic limits. One only needs to observe his solo work to see this, all of which have their own distinct sound while still distinctly Steven Wilson.
“Grace for Drowning,” for instance, burst onto the musical scene showcasing the furthest he’s ever went down the jazz rabbit hole. The album wrapped the jazz in dark electronic music, distortions of instruments one doesn’t normally associate with distortions and deeply depressing lyrics describing an emptied passion and energy for existence. It all beautifully envelops together, permitting cathartic releases from listeners who may have experienced the mental states he’s expressing while simultaneously instilling awe over the variety of sound, lulling listeners into each track’s melancholic melodies like softly told tragedy.
Conversely, his most recent album, “To The Bone,” is the most pop-forward album he has ever released. The song “Permanating” is downright upbeat in the falsetto vocals he delivers mixed with the fast paced, happy piano notes peppered to lyrics such as “Hold on / Hold onto the minute / And sing it / And live it / It’s always there.”
More in line with the Wilson fans have come to know, the lyrics also harbor an element of bitter sweetness in the expressed understanding that those special moments in life are transitory.
Now, “PERSONAL SHOPPER” — the first track he’s dropped from his upcoming new album, “The Future Bites” — stands as another example of his ability to slip into new musical skins, building off of elements he’s explored in the past.
The track, which was released this year, is a 180 turn conceptually and musically compared to many pieces off of “To The Bone.”
“PERSONAL SHOPPER” erupts with a hum of electronic sounds ticking away to a bass drum and falsetto vocals. The song glides around my ears each time I hear it like high tech vehicles rolling down the murky cityscapes of classic anime like “Akira” and “Ghost in the Shell” highlighted by the saturated vibrant colors of “Blade Runner.” When spinning the tune, I can’t help but be reminded of science fiction from the anime lands I’ve come to love.
Vocally, he expands upon the high pitched, even falsetto vocals boldly placed at different moments on “To The Bone.” Musically speaking, “PERSONAL SHOPPER” is a constant turn into different grooved based soundscapes — and it is extremely groovy.
The grooviest of its moments appears when a soulful female voice spouting lyrics of a force mandating constant consumerism set to rhythmic electronic beats in the background. It immediately flips around after it with Wilson’s melodic voice and well-timed acoustic guitar sounds reminiscent of Pink Floyd, “Wish You Were Here” specifically comes to mind, while the marching electronics press on with their marches.
After carrying on with these moments, the song slides purely into electronics and eventually slows down with ambient noise set to Elton John’s voice listing off various products, buffered by the hypnotically simple acoustic guitar moments reminiscent of Pink Floyd. The almost emotionless, matter of fact, way he utters each name, is the most melancholic aspect of “PERSONAL SHOPPER.”
While the track doesn’t have the emotional resonance many of his songs do, it’s a different kind of conceptual set up. It comes off as an observation of our constant desires for materialistic gain, marketed to us with products marketed and named to provide a semblance of diversity, uniqueness and with it, an urgency to devour them.
Before the track was released, this video was fans’ first real glimpse into the album from a conceptual standpoint. Without this video, when just the name of his new album, “The Future Bites,” was just known to the public and a tour trailer, it led me naturally to believe the album would discuss how grim the future can seem. After seeing the video and finding out “The Future Bites” is the name of a fictional group or company he appears to be establishing on the new album, I became more intrigued by the concept. It leads me to believe at least some facet of the album will discuss how pessimism is marketed to us.
“PERSONAL SHOPPER,” thankfully not what I was expecting from Wilson, which in itself is something I expect from him, has left me more eager for the June 12 release of “The Future Bites.” Bring it on.
Writer and artist Miles Bates became infatuated with the arts at an early age. A former student of The Kubert School, a sequential art school in Dover, N.J., his entertainment loves include television, film, video games, books and comic books. Since having been introduced to Metallica in middle school, music has remained a key conversation starter and puzzle piece in his life. His joy is to expose others to all things art related, particularly music.
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