MUSIC IN BELGIUM

Ce "Variations on a dream" est déjà le 3e album de ce groupe anglais injustement peu connu. Il est composé de Bruce Soord au chant, guitares et claviers, Adrian Soord aux claviers, Mark Harris à la basse et Nick Lang à la batterie.

L'album débute avec "We subside" et déjà la couleur est annoncée. La voix s'étire et la ligne musicale nous emballe tant par les claviers que par l'arrivée de la guitare. Ce premier morceau est un chef d'oeuvre à part entière que l'on se repasserait, sans hésiter une seconde, en boucle. Seulement voilà, il nous a donné envie d'écouter la suite. Une guitare sèche introduit "This will remain unspoken", puis les claviers arrivent. Quant au chant, il n'y a pas à dire, celui de Bruce Soord s'approche très fort de celui de Thom Yorke sans toutefois jouer sur les dissonances comme sur le dernier Radiohead . Il se veut séducteur et cela continue avec "Vapour trails", un morceau lent et très mélodique aux arrangements raffinés et au son aérien. Le milieu de ce titre joue sur une ambiance à la Pink Floyd avant le retour en force mélodique du chant et de la guitare.

"Run me through" nous entraîne ensuite dans une mélodie imparable dont on voudrait qu'elle ne s'arrête jamais tant elle est belle. Et que dire du sublîme solo de guitare? Arrive alors "The bitter pill", tout en simplicité. Piano/voix au début, la section rythmique arrive ensuite très discrète et d'une efficacité confondante. L'étrangeté de "Resident alien" apporte de nouvelles sonorités. Ce morceau instrumental contient quelques intonations Mike Oldfield du plus bel effet. "Sooner or later" nous rappelle bien vite que Radiohead n'est pas loin. La voix de Bruce Soord est emplie de sensibilité, la guitare se distorsionne, se contorsionne et arrache quelques cris. Voilà un titre qui serait du plus bel effet en single.

L'introduction très classique de "Part zero" cache pourtant un titre bien plus dur. Le mellotron y dévoile son mystère, la basse le cultive alors que la guitare crache son venin. Le chant est lancinant. Durant ces plus de sept minutes, ce titre nous fait découvrir un savoir faire extraordinaire avec un solo de guitare que ne renierait pas un certain Andy Latimer . On replonge ensuite dans une grande simplicité avec "Keep dreaming". Les ingrédients principaux sont le piano et le chant mais le mellotron et le synthé y font également des incursions de toute beauté.

L'album se termine alors avec "Remember us". Je ne trouverai jamais assez de qualificatifs pour décrire cette pièce maîtresse de seize minutes. Elle est de toute beauté. Une extrême sensibilité s'en dégage et il ne faudra pas longtemps pour que des frissons vous parcourent de toutes parts. C'est l'envolée finale et il est bien rare d'en trouver de si belles. Allez, je me lance. C'est tout bonnement subliminal. Une envie irrésistible nous pousse à augmenter le volume. Tant pis pour les voisins. D'ailleurs, faut pas qu'ils ratent çà! Vous ne verrez pas passer les seize minutes et quand ce sera fini vous voudrez recommencer encore et encore.

Nous étions passés à côté de ce bijou lors de sa sortie il y a quelques mois. Le mal est réparé. Pineapple Thief nous offre là un véritable bijou aux arrangements très travaillés. Le chant de Bruce Soord est envoûtant. Si vous aimez Radiohead, Camel, Pink Floyd, Porcupine Tree et le rock progressif moderne et mélodique, Pineapple Thief vous séduira sans aucun doute. Courez vite l'acheter, vous ne sauriez le regretter!

Pays: GB

Cyclops CYCL 129

Sortie: 2003

Ajouté: 03-May-2004

Critique: Jean-Pierre Lhoir

Score:
Lien en relation: Pineapple Thief

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THE AXIOM OF CHOICE

Pineapple Thief - Variations On A Dream

Summary

Their second album was an excellent surprise, following the guiding lights of Porcupine Tree among others, and adding a few twists of their own. Quite soon after, before the next Vulgar Unicorn in fact, the band returns with another one. There is even a double cd version of this one out, including a second album called 99 Days, but I do not have it.

The music

Ah well, what can I say? This is certainly one for my top ten over the year 2003 (in fact, I did actually put it in). The main references I can find are a mix between No-Man and Porcupine Tree. We Subside for instance opens with dreamy, melodic vocals, an excellent vocal melody. There is also something of Thom Yorke in the vocal twists. Pineapple Thief are not great experimenters as Radiohead currently are making them a good replacement for those who did not want to keep up.

This Will Remain Unspoken continues the downer line of the music. This is not music to get happy by. The strumming acoustic guitar, the nice subdued orchestration and the somewhat desperate vocals all add to this effect.

With Vapour Trails we finally arrive at something of progressive length (harumph). Bleepy keys, slow moving, soft voiced vocals, this is a dreamy one. This continues for over four minutes, after which we come to the instrumental section, which continues in laid back fashion, after which the melancholic repetitive chorus sets in. The final few minutes are even more dreamy.

Run Me Through for some reasons reminds me of Abacab in the opening. The continuation is quite different, i.e., in the line of the previous. There is a bit more pace in the song now, but we stay on the progressive pop side. The guitar solo is a strong one.

The Bitter Pill is a light strumming affair, somewhat faceless by comparison to the wonderful Resident Alien. The opening reminds me of Oldfields Tubular Bells, with lots of interplaying effects. No vocals on this one.

Sooner Or Later has plenty of tension, with the addition of rhythmic guitar and some nice psyche lines. The vocal melody of the chorus is again a great one. This is also one of the rowdier tracks with sharp guitar work and a bit of power and drive. The pop sensibility is not gone though.

Part Zero is among the tracks, one of the lenghier ones. Again the presence of strumming acoustic guitars and this time also some moody synth cello. Very somber. Great vocal melodies again, this time the vocal parts are quite up-beat. Mellotronic moods pervade this track as well and we have some Anekdoten like eruptions to deal with as well.

Keep Dreaming has a bit of a Gazpacho feel, slow and percussive. This is also something of a moving children song in the chorus, but the main reference is still Radiohead, but friendlier. Nice mellotron and oboe like synths sound us out. The rhythm side of it all is loose and modern.

Remember Us is the epic track running more than sixteen minutes. What can you expect here? The same as before, but with lots of low underneath the friendly melodic acoustic guitar. Later the pace sets in somewhat as we move up to mid-tempo. The guitar sounds rather psychedelic here. The doubled vocals sound quite poppy. Notwithstanding its length a song which easily wurms itself a way into your mind. At times the music can be quite sharp almost hallucinogenic with a string reverb. Halfway we come to a part where the guitar simply grind out the noise, but then the song gets underway again with repetitive guitar plus keyboard patterns, building things up nicely indeed.

Conclusion

Why do Coldplay and Radiohead get all their attention and Pineapple Thief does not? Money? Luck? I guess all of those and maybe more, but certainly not a lack in quality and not even originality because the identity of Pineapple Thief is firm and hardly to be mistaken for any other band. Expecting the world to be just is naive though and I guess Pineapple Thief will have to stay where they are: making records for Cyclops and not getting noticed.

This album continues a number of rounded well-penned, played, sung etc. compositions which leave little to be desired. Except maybe that the music and the vocalist should fire up a bit more in places, to counter the slow and dreamy overall tone somewhat. Pineapple Thief should appeal to Placebo, Porcupine Tree and No-Man listeners, as well as Coldplay and Radiohead, with their special brand of progressively arranged pop songs.

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NEW HORIZONS

I first heard Pineapple Thief's music this summer, when they played a superb gig (unbelievably their first ever) at the Whitchurch Festival. Myself and my friend wasted no time in snapping up their back catalogue, and it's pleasing to report that the band's studio output is of the same high quality as their live material.

The main mover behind Pineapple Thief is guitarist, vocalist, keyboardist and songwriter Bruce Soord. Soord may be known to some readers for his work with another Cyclops act, Vulgar Unicorn. Pineapple Thief now appears to be his major priority however, and 'Variations On A Dream' is their third album.

The music contained within is probably best (if loosely) described as a mix of Radiohead (circa 'The Bends'), Porcupine Tree, Muse and Pink Floyd; I also heard hints of lesser known Swedish outfit Kent, particularly in Soord's vocals. Make no mistake though, the band have forged their own identity, particularly on their latest two albums, so don't really bear comparison with one particular band.

Musically and thematically, 'Variations…' is a darker and somewhat more subdued album than its predecessor '137'. The lyrics can be interpreted in a number of ways and are a little enigmatic, but are apparently about the death of a friend and its effect on both Soord and those around him (which probably explains the mysterious 'For Jon' message on the inside of the CD case).

Whilst the lyrics provide a unifying theme, the music accompanying them covers a wide spectrum. The slow burning opener 'We Subside' is a good indication of what is contained within – delicately strummed guitars, melancholy, slightly mournful keyboards and Soord's delicate, yet impassioned vocals all meld together perfectly with the song gradually building to a powerful, sweeping climax where Soord unleashes some powerful guitar solos.

Elsewhere we get memorable epic, yet catchy rock songs (both 'Run Me Through' and 'This Should Remain Unspoken' would fit in well on 'alternative rock' radio stations like XFM), stark piano-led ballads ('The Bitter Pill') and atmospheric orchestral-meets-electronica instrumentals ('Resident Alien'). Fans of the epic won't be disappointed either – 'Vapour Trails' alternates between spacey Floydian atmospherics and powerful chiming guitar-led sections, whilst 16 minute closer 'Remember Us' really is a lesson in how to build a song, moving through its multiple sections in a logical, seamless fashion, dripping with emotion and ideas, and never sounding like it's dragging on too long. Of particular note is the way, around about the middle of the track, where everything drops back before gradually building to a superb, intense climax, with Soord and co skilfully inserting little extras into the mix to add to its epic scope. Both the musicianship and production is spot on. In addition to Soord, brother Adrian plays a variety of keyboard instruments, with piano, rhodes and synths being augmented by those prog favourites the mellotron and Hammond organ, whilst bassist Mark Harris and drummer Nick Lang provide solid, unflashy backing.

I have the limited edition, which comes with a bonus disc, '8 days', recorded during the extra studio time the band had whilst making this album. This is unfortunately no longer available at the present time. Suffice to say, should it come on the market again at a later date - it's well worth snapping up, as it shows a different side to the band, yet never gives the impression that it was written and recorded in just over a week.

Overall, this is a wonderful album which works on many levels and is sure to be in my top ten come the end of the year. I can't really believe that the great record buying public would really prefer the aimless, 'difficult' noodlings of Radiohead's recent material to this mature, brilliantly composed and structured work, yet guess which one will sell more? Just goes to show how blinkered and trend-led many people are, I suppose. Whatever, I'd urge any fan of good modern rock, be it progressive or otherwise, to snap this album up – Pineapple Thief are an excellent British band who both need and deserve your support.

Tom, 5 October 2003

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THE MIASMA - by Zaid Derweesh

Already with 2 releases under their belts as PT, the members only came together a few months ago to form a band. Mastermind Bruce Soord (Guitars, Vocals, Keyboards) along with Adrian Soord (mellotron, hammond, piano, etc.), Nick Lang (drums and cymbals) and Mark Harris (bass, both electric and acoustic) came together and recorded Variations On a Dream.

Critics have made comparisons between Pineapple Thief and a few other bands, mainly Porcupine Tree and Radiohead. I am uncomfortable about such comparisons, because Pineapple Thief don't actually sound like either of those bands. Even though there are resemblances between the PTs, their styles differ greatly. Porcupine Tree are more energetic overall and have a greater stylistic span. Pineapple Thief prefer to concentrate mostly on a specific type of music, ‘melancholic rock', as described by Bruce Soord. Comparisons to Radiohead are also quite misleading, for similar reasons.

I think the best description of the band's style so far in reference to other bands, and in twenty words or less, was written on an online message board. ‘Think Porcupine Tree solos, Camel acoustics and Radiohead lyrics…but a million times better.'

Variations On A Dream is the fruit of the newly formed band's efforts. Not content with a ‘mere' 63 minutes, they've thrown in a full-length bonus CD as well with the limited edition (called 8 Days, because it was written in 8 Days, strangely enough), which has now sold out. And with good reason.

The album opens with ‘We Subside', and immediately the magnificent, apparent simplicity of it hits you. It works on different layers, each adding it's own to the mix. Soord's captivating vocals, with an almost child-like innocence at times, speak volumes more than the lyrics themselves. The drums come in at 1:42 and complete the mix.

The song has an incredible emotional quality: a sense of loss, and yet perseverance. ‘And always wonder why (we carry on),' sings Soord, personifying the emotion. The brilliant solo is the highlight of the song, it's soul. The song ends all too quickly after the solo; at least it feels that way. But then again I was hoping this track would go on forever.

Soord doesn't lie when he says melancholic rock, as it is the focal emotion of the CD. But like any other emotion, melancholy has a million different shades. Variations attempts to cover them all, and then some. Other emotions are suggested throughout the album, including joy, and at times, the feeling you get when you are about to cross over to hysteria (see ‘Resident Alien').

Soord's vocals are a pivotal aspect of the music: they don't stand out as such, but act just like any of the other instruments in his mini-orchestra. The lyrics to a number of the songs are minimal, but always Soord's voice is there, a part of the mix (Save ‘Resident Alien').

The aforementioned ‘Simplicity' is misleading. Its more a type of elegance: the music doesn't try to hard to be complex, and is infinitely successful. Mostly it is made what it is by the seamless melding of different layers, worked and reworked, as a metallurgist might do. The respective layers function semi-independently. Repetition, yet variation on another level, and usually a build-up created by all the layers in a subtle way when required. The 16-minute epic ‘Remember Us' is a perfect example of this, and over its 16 minutes, it does not get boring once. It doesn't try too hard to do what it does, it just flows naturally. Masterful.

Pineapple Thief may be a ‘new' band despite having two full-length releases under their collective belt, but they aren't just any new band (and there is an abundance of those). They are contenders for best newcomer of 2003, and Variations On A Dream is quite possibly the best album of 2003.

Production: 5

Enjoyment factor: 5

Emotion: 5

*OVERALL SCORE: 9.5/10*

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PROGRESSIVEWORLD

www.progressiveworld.net

Reviewed by: John "Bo Bo" Bollenberg, August 2003

Hail the thief! Bruce Soord and his comrades known as Vulgar Unicorn offspring Pineapple Thief surely must have nicked the soul and spirit of Coldplay, Radiohead, Elbow and Sabyia in order to deliver one of the best alternative rock records in years! In authentic British humoristic style, Bruce says “if I could sell 1% of the Radiohead sales then I could retire!” But all humour aside, he's right in that nothing concerns the music itself anymore, but it all comes down to marketing. The Pineapple Thief marketing for this album, however, is not a bad catch, as the band offers one thousand limited editions to their fans by including an extra album with brand new material. These extra tracks have been recorded in only one week and only have the date and sometimes also the time as the only information, with the guarantee that these recordings will never ever again be released once this initial batch of 1000 copies has dried up! And at the time of this writing, only 90 copies remained, so chances to get your filthy paws on one of those 2CD editions is as unlikely as David Beckham playing for Folkestone. You never know of course, so keep praying! The 2CD package only has the letter D behind the catalogue number. That's the only clue you get so you need to have sharp eyes!

But let's focus on the actual album first. Ten brand new songs with as always as little information as possible. All we know is that everything you hear comes from the mind of Bruce Soord. To be honest with you, from now on you can call this guy Bruce "the genius" Soord! "We Subside" begins with a repetitive synthesized bassoon, which could be compared with Karda Estra, but then Bruce's unique voice sets in, followed in it's footsteps by drums, turning this into one hell of a pop song. The way Soord adds strings makes it the kind of material we all will cherish for a long time. Same pattern where "This Will Remain Unspoken" is concerned, that, due to its acoustic guitar, tends to have some Pink Floyd moments. Experimental synth sounds during the intro of "Vapour Trails" changing towards yet another perfect pop format is the kind of material that turned Radiohead into superstars. A similar kind of approach switching the unexpected towards the pure acceptable is what the uptempo "Run Me Through" is all about. Once again a wall of strings backs perfect timing, wonderful melodies and out of this world guitar playing. My knees are turning into jelly! Someone get me an ambulance. Quick!

With "The Bitter Pill" the band illustrates that you don't need a gigantic arrangement to make a big impression. All they use here is a piano but the melody and the intensity is enough to grab you by the balls and never let go before the song is fully over. The beauty of that piano can be compared to Chopin or Ravel, if you like, simple but oh so effective! The same can be said of the classical introduction to "Sooner Or Later" and what a pity this band can't use a real orchestra, because it would be so much more powerful. But the intention is there, the will to progress, the ears for outstanding compositions. The rest is only a matter of luck and perfect timing. "Part Zero" contains a more aggressive guitar whilst those strings still remain in the background. "Keep Dreaming" has that "Karma Police" element inside without turning into blatant plagiarism, turning the rhythm a little slower. Wonderful how the choir sound of the mellotron blends with kind of Salvation Army brass and the acoustic bass. The actual album ends with the epic "Remember Us," a 16 minute musical orgasm fuelled by repetitive guitars, both acoustic and electric. Guitars that suddenly switch towards experimental noises surrounded by dark, low bassoon noises and other synthesized brass. Acoustic guitar then sets the pace for kind of a second movement which backed by a fierce rhythm contains some Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark kind of synths making way for a danceable atmosphere. The guitar solo right at the very end is one of the best I've heard in a long time, coming to an abrupt ending as if someone struggling for life suddenly gives it all up and dies. The mystery of life and death contained in a couple of guitar chords! Magic!

And now on to the bonus disc 8 Days which also sports ten brand new compositions and, as said before, is only available to the first one thousand purchasers of the new album. Maybe this illustrates that Pineapple Thief are not that ambitious after all, because 1000 copies seems very little if you want to conquer the world! Maybe they'll change their mind one day and release this bonus material separately after all? The clever ones amongst you might spot a small mistake on the print on the disc. This says that the material was written between Sunday 3rd November and Sunday 9th November. Of course the latter should read 10th November as there are still seven days in a week even in Pineapple Thief land! On two occasions (9th and 10th) two songs were written, bringing the total to 10 songs in 8 Days. In most cases a computervoice tells you what day of the week it is so when you close your eyes you manage to cover a whole week in less than an hour! The opening track is a very interesting composition with several rhythm breaks and great accompanying hooks. In a way it has some Orb influences turning it into a stupefying ride. One of my favourite instruments, the Fender Rhodes, makes its entrance on ... "Monday"! Urban noises are mixed between the songs so to give it the feel of one ongoing experience, recorded on the spot. Probably one of the best commercial songs the band has ever written is "Tuesday 5th November 2002." If this was given a proper single release with the right financial backing then this would certainly end high in the charts. A hit if ever I heard one! "Wednesday" gets a very solemn approach by means of the keyboards arrangement. "Thursday" gets the "repetitive acoustic guitar" treatment sung in a "hazy" way by Bruce and also featuring "distorted mandolin" (or is it bouzouki?). On "Friday" the band not only cleans their recording booth (you bet they do) but also welcomes the weekend by delivering an energetic song filled with distorted guitars and the repetition of the word "six" (it was indeed their sixth day of recording! but three times 6 after one another results in a devilish thought as well!). Towards the end it contains some nice, inventive guitar work, steering the song into a more experimental direction. The first song on "Saturday" is a short acoustic instrumental kind of to introduce the new day. The second song is much more alive putting kind of a heartbeat into it all. Replace the synth by piano and you almost certainly get a Coldplay original. Similar to "Saturday," "Sunday" also starts with an instrumental, rather ambient first part which gets injected by a fierce rhythm as time evolves. An ambulance in the distance introduces the final part of the band's excursion. Again this is more of a "real" song structured by means of acoustic guitar and strings. As throughout the entire album and bonus disc Bruce Soord's distinctive vocals give the music a special charm, an exclusive stamp that only reads “Pineapple Thief”. It's the kind of song that can enlighten an entire field filled with enthusiastic music fans the world over, firmly holding on to their burning lighters. Whilst the Moody Blues tackled one day for their acclaimed Days Of Future Passed album, Pineapple Thief took a whole week as subject for their bonus disc. Just like the Moodies it enabled them to take on different atmospheres as everyday is different.

So is Pineapple Thief prog? If prog to you is the abbreviation for progression then it definitely is prog, but for the Mojo public let's simply keep it at being "damn good superb alternative rock." Someone said that music is more effective than the most powerful anaesthetic. I have to confess it's true. This new Pineapple Thief material moved me to tears. Tears because of the injustice in the music industry, an industry that keeps pushing forward Barbie-type singers singing (?) spoonfed material. The listener at home thinks he/she hears all there is to hear whilst maybe in their entire life they will hear just one percent of what's on offer. Due to that attitude of the music industry REAL talent will one day go wasted whilst untalented people will be able to afford a 10 million dollar mansion and retire when they're 22. That same industry is also complaining that things are going bad, that MP3 is killing music. NO!!! It's the industry who killed music by not giving REAL music a fair chance! So I will do everything in my power to give these guys the recognition they truly deserve. Variations On A Dream is my definite Album of the Year 2003. No doubt noone can beat the 11 out of 10 I'm giving it! [or on our scale, a 6/5 –ed]

Rating: 6/5

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DPRP

Work started on the recording of Pineapple Thief's third album, Variations On A Dream, way back in December 2001 and continued up until October of last year. Further delays meant the album wasn't released until a few months ago and, in the spirit of not wanting to rush anything, we here at DPRP only received a review copy a couple of weeks ago. So has it been a worthwhile wait for fans of Bruce Soord's particular musical vision? Quite simply the answer is a resounding YES! From the staccato opening of We Subside to the closing guitar cascade of the 16 minute epic Remember US, Variations On A Dream displays the hallmarks of something that is rather special these days - an album that is simply a joy to listen to from start to finish.

Focusing on composition and pushing the arrangements and performance to levels higher than previously achieved, Pineapple Thief have created an album that successfully encompasses a wide variety of influences yet maintains its own unique identity. Yes, This Will Remain Unspoken and Vapour Trails do follow a path parallel to the one trodden by Porcupine Tree, but Pineapple Thief seem to have taken a route less encumbered. Run Me Through has a soaring chorus not heard since the first Muse album while Sooner Or Later is something that should make Billy Corgan realise what direction he should have taken The Smashing Pumpkins after Melancholy And The Infinite Sadness.

The sentimental side of the band is ably demonstrated by the wistful piano ballad The Bitter Pill. The beautiful melody is perfectly enhanced by an arrangement whose strength lies in its simplicity. This sparseness is echoed in Keep Dreaming which simply begs for someone to put up the money so that a version can be recorded with an orchestra and choir to replace the mellotron which admittedly does sound a little dated (blasphemy!). Classical overtones are also prevalent on the album's sole instrumental, Resident Alien. The arpegiated keyboard-generated strings and pseudo-glockenspiel are underpinned by a harsher, almost industrial back beat - it may sound an unholy combination on paper, but works rather well in practice. Final track, Remember Us, starts with a deceptively simple acoustic guitar and synthesiser intro leading into a short vocal section. This is followed by an atmospheric instrumental section and culminates in a wonderfully crisp and extended electric guitar solo from Bruce Soord. Once the final note dies, the immediate reaction is to hit the play button again and lose oneself for another hour. Easily one of the best new albums to have been released so far in 2003.

Lucky purchasers of the first 1000 copies of the album from the bands website or direct from Cyclops were fortunate enough to receive a bonus disc, Eight Days. Following the completion of recording the album, the band found they had eight days of studio time left and so set themselves the task of using the time to record a new track, sometimes two, each day starting completely from scratch. The predominantly instrumental album uses ambient sounds recorded outside the studio to link each track. A fascinating glimpse into the creative process, the album displays an amazing fluidity and conciseness which is an obvious reflection of the collective mood of the band throughout the week - the reflectiveness of Monday November 4th is brushed aside by the upbeat vibe of the following day; The "Pineapple Thief do Radiohead" more experimental guitar piece of Friday November 8th is juxtaposed with the acoustic instrumental Saturday November 9th 14:11 whose melody is taken, distorted and sped up on the track recorded later that same evening. Quite simply, Eight Days is far too good to be limited to an audience of just a thousand people.

We would like to offer our thanks to Bruce Soord who has kindly given us one of these special Limited Edition CD's for our DPRP Subscribed readers competition this week.

Conclusion: 8.5 out of 10

Mark Hughes

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PROGPOWER

Manic Street Preachers meets Pink Floyd meets Radiohead meets Porcupine Tree. That is the only way I can best describe the music of Pineapple Thief, a band I discovered through the guestbook of Landmarq. The history of the band is a bit vague, as their website only mentions the events that led to the recording of their third album, Variations on a Dream. Frontman Bruce Soord is also active in the band Vulgar Unicorn, another band that, sort of, lives in the shadows. So, as there is not much background, let's move and talk about the music!

As I said, the sound is a bit of a mix between the aforementioned bands, but just saying that would do no credit to this band, as it is not just an album full of copied songs. On the contrary, Bruce Soord has managed to bring the best elements of these bands together in 10 songs, with some that are quite radio-friendly, and sets the example for bands like Radiohead or Coldplay. The title of the album, Variations on a Dream, covers the music very good, as the atmosphere from the album is very ambient, with mellow synths and guitars. But there are also more up-tempo songs, like ‘Run Me Through', with more drums and a superb guitar solo. But even with the simplicity of just piano and acoustic guitar, they know how to make a beautiful song. Just listen to ‘The Bitter Pill'. The instrumental ‘Resident Alien' is a joy for the ears, with fresh and colourful keyboard arrangements. ‘Part Zero', knows some more heavy guitar riffs and lots of mellotron, where they perfectly blend the rock influences with their ambient sound. Closing track ‘Remember Us' takes you on a 16 minute journey through their dream world, and will make sure you won't forget them!

Variations on a Dream is a fantastic album to relax with and lose all the stress. Nothing predictable, but truly as a dream, with skilled musicians ,excellent vocals and solid compositions. It is a bit of a sombre album, but with hope shining at the horizon. Not just in the lyrics, but also in the fact that Soord is already working on a new Pineapple Thief album! Still, if you don't already have Variations on a Dream, get it, and if you are lucky, you get the limited edition with a full length album bonus disc, with more fantastic ambient music from this ‘dream composer'. And look out for the next album, for, as Soord himself says on his website, it ‘is going to be schizophrenic, to say the least'.

Added : July 29th 2003

Reviewer : Marcel

Score :

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PROGTHEATER (france)

Jail découvert il ya quelques mois seulement l'univers de Pineapple Thief avec l'album "137", qui a constitué un vrai coup de coeur, ce qui m'a amené à m'intéresser de près au premier album et m'a fait attendre avec un intérêt certain ce 3ème album, "Variations on a dream". Celui ci est aussi proposé en édition limitée qui comprend un cd bonus intitulé "8 days" sur lequel je m'attarderais un peu plus tard.

Bruce Soord, guitariste, chanteur et compositeur s'est entouré des mêmes acolytes que pour "137", soit son frère Adrian aux claviers, Mark Harris à la basse et Nick Lang à la batterie. La mort d'un ami proche de Bruce Soord pendant la conception de l'album a fortement influencé sur son contenu. Indéniablement, il est plus sombre. Il a d'ailleurs mis de coté les titres composés qui ne collaient pas avec l'ambiance de "Variations". On devrait les retrouver sur le prochain album prévu pour le printemps 2004.

Comme pour les oeuvres précédentes du groupe, celle ci propose une sorte de pop sophistiquée à tendance progressive. On peut trouver des liens musicaux avec certains titres de groupes comme Radiohead ou Porcupine Tree . Cependant Pineapple Thief a son propre style qu'il semble avoir adouci ou du moins épuré, même s'il n'y a jamais rien eu de "métal" dans sa musique.

Certains titres sont basés sur une mélodie au piano comme les magnifiques "The bitter pill" et "keep dreaming" ou aux claviers comme l'étrange instrumental "Resident alien". Mais la plupart sont construits autour de la guitare magique de Bruce Soord dont on appréciera particulièrement le jeu très varié, ces arpèges acoustiques si clairs et pourtant parfois plutôt rapides. Les solos ne sont pas légions mais toujours excellents et différents.

Dans ce registre on a droit à des titres où l'acoustique domine comme sur "This will remain unspoken", "Vapour Trails" que n'aurait sans doute pas renié Steve Wilson ou le contrasté "Part zero" à la rythmique superbe.

D'autres sont plus électriques comme "Run me trough"et son court mais enthousiasmant solo final, ou le plus rugueux "Sooner or later".

Parfois la guitare et les claviers mènent la mélodie de concert comme sur le splendide "We subside" qui ouvre l'album avec son formidable crescendo.

On termine avec le long "remember us" qui dépasse le quart d'heure. Je ne peux pas dire que les longs titres chez ce groupe constituent forcément mes préférés car il y a souvent des baisses de tension et celui ci n'échappe à la règle. Après une montée initiale comme le groupe en a le secret, on a droit à un passage très atmosphérique et minimaliste avant de repartir de manière plus que superbe. Un sacré final quand même.

Il faut aussi souligner la belle palette sonore offerte tout au long de l'album par les claviers, parmi lesquels on trouve mellotron et hammond.

Très beau et émotionnel, le style musical de Pineapple Thief ne subit pas de révolution mais sa musique a indéniablement mûrie (quelle subtilité dans les arrangements!), de même que le registre vocal de Bruce Soord qui a gagné en variation et en émotion. Incontestablement un des plus beaux disques de cette première partie de 2003. Merci monsieur Soord !

Je terminerais en disant quelques mots sur le cd bonus même s'il n'est pas évident que vous le trouviez puisqu'il est limité à 1000 exemplaires. S'il s'appelle "8 days", c'est que celui a été écrit, joué, enregistré et mixé sur 8 jours par Bruce Soord. L'album comprend 10 titres. Chacun d'entre eux est inspiré de sons ambients autour du studio. On entend d'ailleurs la date et l'heure au début de chaque morceau. Alors présenté comme cela, on peut émettre certains doutes. Est ce que l'on ne va pas avoir quelque chose de baclé ? Pas du tout. La qualité est au rendez vous même si on n'a pas l'homogénéïté de"Variations". Les styles explorés sont beaucoup plus divers. Ainsi certains morceaux (aucun n'a de titre) font penser à des musiques de films, d'autres sont plus pop ou plus rock mais le style Pineapple Thief est toujours reconnaissable.

En tout cas ce "8 days" confirme le grand potentiel créatif de Bruce Soord.

9.5/10

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POPUPMAG (french)

http://www.popupmag.com/

« We subside » , le brillant titre qui ouvre cet album restera sans doute gravé à jamais dans l'esprit de tous ceux qui auront placé Variation on a dream sur leur platine. Cuivres châtelains et guitares chaleureuses provoquent l'étincelle discrète qui allume doucement le feu…

Bruce Soord, guitariste, chanteur et compositeur s'est entouré des mêmes acolytes que pour "137", soit son frère Adrian aux claviers, Mark Harris à la basse et Nick Lang à la batterie.

La mort d'un ami proche de Bruce Soord pendant la conception de l'album ayant fortement influencé son contenu, ce disque est plus sombre que son prédécesseur. (Les titres qui ne collaient pas avec l'ambiance de "Variations" ont été mis de côté et apparaîtront sans doute sur le prochain album prévu pour le printemps 2004.)

Variation... offre une sorte de pop sohistiquée mais toujours pure, parfois proche de la musique progressive. L'esprit est proche de celui de Radiohead ou de Porcupine Tree, cependant Pineapple Thief développe son propre style avec inventivité et une approche très personnelle de la production.

Certains titres se fondent sur une mélodie au piano comme les magnifiques "The bitter pill" et "keep dreaming" ou aux claviers comme l'étrange instrumental "Resident alien" mais la plupart s'articulent autour de la guitare magique de Bruce Soord dont on appréciera particulièrement le jeu très varié, ces arpèges acoustiques si clairs et plutot rapides.

Cette pop prends souvent les couleurs de la musique progressive mais offre aussi avec à propos, des titres où l'acoustique domine comme "This will remain unspoken", "Vapour Trails" que n'aurait sans doute pas renié Steve Wilson ou le contrasté "Part zero" à la rythmique superbe. D'autres sont plus électriques comme "Run me trough"et son court mais enthousiasmant solo final, ou le plus rugueux "Sooner or later".

On termine avec le long "remember us" qui dépasse le quart d'heure : après une montée initiale comme le groupe en a le secret, on a droit à un passage très atmosphérique et minimaliste avant de repartir de manière plus que superbe. Un sacré final quand même !

Il faut aussi souligner la belle palette sonore offerte tout au long de l'album par les claviers, parmi lesquels on trouve le mellotron et l'orgue hammond.

Quelques mots sur le cd bonus (même s'il n'est pas évident que l'on puisse encore se le procurer puisqu'il est limité à 1000 exemplaires). S'il s'appelle "8 days", c'est parce qu'il a été écrit, joué, enregistré et mixé en 8 jours par Bruce Soord. L'album comprend 10 titres. Chacun d'entre eux est inspiré de sons ambients autour du studio. On entend d'ailleurs la date et l'heure au début de chaque morceau. Alors présenté comme cela, on peut émettre certains doutes. Pourtant, rien ici n'est anecdotique ou bâclé. Certes on n'a pas l'homogénéité de"Variations". Les styles explorés sont beaucoup plus divers. Ainsi, certains morceaux (aucun n'a de titre) font penser à des musiques de films, d'autres sont plus pop ou plus rock mais le style Pineapple Thief est toujours reconnaissable… déjà indispensable ?

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PROGRESSIVE WAVES (France)

On aurait pu penser que Pineapple Thief, qui avait déjà sorti son deuxième album non sans tergiversations, ne reviendrait pas de sitôt avec un troisième opus. C'est pourtant chose faite avec « Variation On A Dream », titre qui se veut très révélateur du contenu.

En effet, on est assez loin du précédent album qui se présentait comme un mélange de différentes inspirations du monde « indépendants » pour des titres plus acoustiques dans un style simple, basés essentiellement sur des harmonies sonores. Coté chant on se rapproche de celui de Muse sans le coté nerveux. Coté instrument, aux accords de claviers et phrasés de piano, s'ajoutent des guitares électriques délivrant des notes tenues en accompagnement, une très bonne basse et de la guitare électrique ou acoustique grattée. La technique est totalement laissée de coté pour laisser l'auditeur s'imprégner des ambiances lancinantes, entêtantes voir parfois rageuses.

Même si on est loin de la plénitude d'un Sigur Ros ou de la sensibilité d'un Anathema, le concept de ce « Variation On A Dream » côtoie ces deux références avec une certaine réussite. Pistes calmes aux montées en puissance jubilatoires et pistes plus animées aux percussions appuyées se succèdent, basées sur un même thème : le rêve. Ajoutons que les quelques sonorités électroniques ajoutent une profondeur supplémentaire à un contenu déjà varié, aux atmosphères palpables. Encore un album très intéressant d'un groupe fort peu connu qui mérite largement son acquisition.

8/10

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PROGWERELD

Gezien de populariteit van bands als Coldplay, Muse, Radiohead en de door ons gesignaleerde Gazpacho is het zeer verwonderlijk dat een band als Pineapple Thief een niet veel groter publiek aanspreekt. De muziek van de band rond zanger en componist Bruce Soord houdt op deze cd het midden tussen het rustige gedeelte van Porcupine Tree en de ballades van Sunny Day Real Estate . “Variations On A Dream”, de derde cd van Pineapple Thief, is een pracht van een cd, met liedjes die zich al na één keer draaien zich door de prachtige melodieën nestelen in je hoofd, om je nooit meer los te laten.

Openingsnummer We Subside is gelijk al een hoogtepunt, een nummer gebaseerd op één zich constant herhalend, hypnotiserend themaatje. Het is prachtig hoe de spanning in dit nummer wordt opgebouwd, tot de drums en het baswerk erbij gehaald worden en een trompet (uit een doosje) aangename accenten aan het einde geeft.

De invloed van Muse (of zou het andersom zijn?) is evident in Run Me Through, het stevigste nummer, waarin Soord ook inderdaad zingt zoals Matthew Bellamy. Muse mag dan een goeie band zijn in het alternatieve circuit, wat Pineapple Thief hier presteert is vele malen hoger van kwaliteit. Neem het pianogeoriënteerde The Bitter Pill, waar het Radiohead troef is. De mooie, gevoelige stem van Soord, de werkelijk perfectie productie en de aangename opbouw van het nummer maken het een pareltje.

Er staan werkelijk geen slechte nummers op deze cd. Zeer origineel en verslavend is het instrumentale Resident Alien, welke je doet snakken naar meer instrumentale nummers van deze band. Gelukkig staan er op de bonus-cd ook een aantal prachtige instrumentale nummers.

Part Zero is een heftig, vrij symfonisch nummer met een deprimerende tekst (“I'm doing all I can, but all I get is a suicidal plan), dat nog het meest aan Porcupine Tree doet denken. Het zeer lange Remember Us is erg orkestraal aangezet en kent lange stukken met prachtig gitaarwerk van Soord.

Tenslotte is ook Keep Breathing, een langzaam nummer met een sterk refrein, vermeldenswaardig. Het zou dit nummer kunnen zijn dat, samen met We Subside, die de doorbraak van Pineapple Thief kan bewerkstelligen. Hup, videoclip maken dus.

Op de bonus-cd (alleen verkrijgbaar bij de band zelf) hoor je nog eens tien minstens net zo sterke nummers, opgenomen in acht dagen, tussen 3 en 10 november 2002. Elke dag begon men aan een track, om deze diezelfde dag af te krijgen, met de laatste twee dagen zelfs twee liedjes per dag. “Only the lucky few will have this recording”, schrijft Bruce Soord over dit project op zijn website. Dat zal wel meevallen. Een ieder die het fantastische “Variations On A Dream” aanschaft zonder bonus-cd, zal zijn uiterste best doen het extraatje alsnog te verkrijgen. En de twee andere cd's. En alles wat Soord en zijn kornuiten de komende jaren uitpoepen. En terecht.

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PROGRESSIA (special thanks to Julien for the extra effort with the translation!)

Original French copy:

Après 137, sorti l'an dernier, le deuxième groupe de Bruce Soord (Vulgar Unicorn) nous revient avec un disque qui pourrait faire date, car plus encore que les deux albums précédents de Pineapple Thief, Variations on a Dream déborde du talent de son auteur et semble tout simplement disposer d'un potentiel commercial immense. Pineapple Thief est un groupe à la limite de la pop sophistiquée et du progressif moderne : si Porcupine Tree est un groupe de progressif aux accents pop, alors Pineapple Thief est son pendant, un groupe de pop aux aspirations progressives.

Dès « We Subside » dont une version est destinée à figurer dans notre section Ecoute, le groupe offre une magnifique montée en puissance au solo floydien et atmosphérique, suivi de « This will remain unspoken », titre acoustique parfait où le chanteur-guitariste nous éblouit par ses capacités vocales. Plus varié dans ses intonations, Bruce s'éloigne enfin du registre de Billy Corgan pour évoluer vers un style plus personnel et varié, rappelant parfois Tom Yorke de Radiohead. « Vapour Trails » ravira les amateurs de Porcupine Tree, avec une mélodie et des arrangements à la guitare et aux claviers que ne renierait pas Steven Wilson.

L'album est une alternance entre des titres concis et imparables (le superbe « Run Me Through », le puissant « Sooner or Later » et son refrain ciselé) et des tentatives nettement plus expérimentales, comme l'hybride « Part Zero », dont la structure initiale quasi-metal et délitée se transforme en une chanson à la Vulgar Unicorn, ou l'incroyable « Remember Us ». Ce pavé de plus d'un quart d'heure débute sur une mélodie rappelant Saint Etienne ou Arab Strap, suivie d'un long break atmosphérique, et s'achève par un long solo sans fin dont Soord a le secret. Deux morceaux au piano s'intercalent ingénieusement et donnent une idée de l'état d'esprit mélancolique qui se dégage de l'album (le lancinant « Keep Dreaming » en témoigne), sans conteste le plus sombre et le plus beau du groupe.

Pineapple Thief a ainsi composé un Variations On A Dream à double entrée, où le fan de progressif appréciera la finesse de la production et les subtils arrangements, tandis que l'amateur de pop rock se délectera de compositions accessibles et addictives. Un petit miracle d'équilibre, et une place en moins dans le top 5 de cette année.

Site web : http://www.pineapplethief.com

Julien Monsenego

Rough English Translation:

After “137”, released last year, the second band of Bruce Soord, from Vulgar Unicorn, is coming back with an album that must be heard of and which may be memorable. Indeed, and more than with the two previous albums from Pineapple Thief, “Variations on a Dream” is brimming over with its creator's talent and impresses with its incredible commercial potential. Pineapple Thief is a band playing with the boundaries of sophisticated pop and modern progressive music: if Porcupine Tree is a progressive band with pop background, then Pineapple Thief is a pop band with progressive ambitions.

With “We Subside” (which can be found in our “Listening” Section”), the band offers a magnificent crescendo as an introduction, with a Floydian and atmospheric guitar solo, enlightened with subtle arrangements. It is followed by “This will remain unspoken”, a perfect acoustic track in which the singer-guitarist astonishes us with its vocal performance. More diverse in its intonations, Bruce is going away from the Billy Corgan's tone to drift towards a more personal style, sometimes close to Radiohead's Tom Yorke. “Vapour Trails” will delight Porcupine Tree's fans, with a melody and arrangements on the guitar and keyboards that would not be disowned by Steven Wilson.

The album is, therefore, an alternation of concise and flawless songs (the superb “Run Me Through” or the powerful “Sooner or Later” and its polished chorus) and far more experimental attempts, like the hybrid “Part Zero”, with its quasi-metal initial structure that transform itself in a Vulgar Unicorn song, and most of all the unbelievable “Remember Us”. This epic of more than 15 minutes long is beginning with a Saint Etienne or Arab Strap like synth and guitar melody, followed by a long atmospheric break and finally ends up on a long guitar solo, the kind of which Soord has the secret of. Two piano-orientated songs are ingeniously inserted and give an idea of the sombre and melancholic state of mind that is given off by the record (the haunting “Keep Dreaming”), the most sombre and beautiful written by the band.

Thus, Pineapple Thief has elaborated a “double layer album”, in which the prog' fan will enjoy the fine-tuned production and the arrangements, while the pop rock lovers will be delighted with accessible and addictive songs. A little miracle of balance, and a place in my Top 5 for 2003.

Interest: 9

Originality: 8

Production: 8

Global: 8.

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BLOGSPOT

Hail The Pineapple Thief!

Wederom stond de hele muziekwereld op zijn kop. De nieuwe Radiohead was uitgelekt. En dan niet eens de 'echte' maar ruwe onaffe mixen. Stond de wereld ook maar op zijn kop als Pineapple Thief een nieuwe plaat uitbrengt. Dat zou namelijk helemaal niet onverdiend zijn. Waar Radiohead nogal scherp uit de bocht vloog na The Bends, dat mij betreft nog steeds het beste Radiohead album is, met OK Computer, pikt Pineapple Thief de draad daar op met 137 en borduurt op Variations on a Dream verder. Dat deden ze al erg goed op het vorig jaar verschenen 137, maar op Variations on a Dream doen Bruce Soord en consorten het gewoon nóg beter. Dus wel experiment, maar niet zo overdreven. Het liedje in het teken van het liedje en niet van het experiment. Radiovriendelijk, zonder het experiment uit de weg te gaan, maar niet rete-commercieel. Radiohead, maar niet te. Wel verdomd goed gitaarspel overigens en een 16 minuten durende afsluiter die om is voor je het door hebt. Nog maar eens opzetten en hopen dat ook het grote publiek dit onder ogen krijgt, Pineapple Thief verdient dat namelijk.

File: Pineapple Thief - Variations on a Dream

File Under: Doorbraakplaat?

posted by Coen at 10:45 AM || watgezegd(1)

BLOGSPOT (English translation)

Hail the Pinapple Thief!

And the complete musicworld went nuts. The new Radiohead had leaked out. Not even the 'real' album but the rough mixes. I wish the world would go nuts when Pineapple Thief releases their new album. That wouldn't be unrightous at all! Where Radiohead go off the road after the Bends, which i still consider to be the best Radiohead album, with OK computer, Pineapple Thief took of at that point with last years "137" and continous doing that with on Variations on a Dream. They did that extremely well with 137, but on Variations on a Dream Bruce Soord cs are doing that even better. So you will hear experiment, but not overdone. The song is all about the song and not the

experiment. Radiofriendly, but not bloody commerical. Radiohead but not to much. You do get tastfull guitarplay by the way and a 16 minutes closing track that's finished before you even notice it. Let's spin it again and enjoy it and let's hope the big audience will get to hear this as well, Pineapple THief surely deserves that.

File: Pineapple Thief - Variations on a Dream

File Under: Breakthrougd record?

(url: http://fileunder.blogspot.com , but only in dutch)

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