ThePumpkins.net

In Absentia

As much as Recordings felt like a true album, In Absentia feels like a b-sides and outtakes collection.
It was obvious to me that they couldn't top LBS with the follow-up and I was prepared for something less...but not that less.
In Absentia starts with the strong rocker Blackest Eyes which sounds both, fresh and good but then the album wents downwards in a tracklist of pretty forgetable 101-songs and safe tunes until the terrific gothic rocker Gravity Eyelids hits our ears.
Then it's b-side time again until .3 up to Collapse (erase the Creator mess from that) make a nice ending to an album that doesn't feel like one.
There's no coherence in the albums tracklist whatsoever.
You could play anything between the first and the last track on random and it wouldn't spoil a thing (I have tried that, indeed).
And given that at least 6 of 12 songs are utterly forgettable and could easily have been taken out in favour of the two stellar outtakes "Chloroform" and "Drown With Me"...
I think you get the point, In Absentia is one of my least favourites it shocked me when it came out and it bores me these days.
It has neither as many good songs as any PT album before nor any concept that clings together the good and the mediocre stuff (Pink Floyd's The Final Cut anyone?)
Make yourself an EP of the tracks 1,5,8,10,11,12 and forget about the rest.
Little could I know that it would get even worse...

6/10

In Absentia

This album can be a tough listen. It's dreary and muddy for the most part and the middle section especially can seem to drag. Having said that, I disagree with Don that it lacks coherence. I think the songs gel together well - almost too well, in a way - and for an album that uses death as a main theme, the mournful tone and hard listen seem appropriate.
Some days I could agree with Don and say that I find it boring, but some days, when I'm in the right mood, it can be a rewarding listen and every bit as good as most previous albums.
I'm going to have to rate it as I would on one of those good days...

8

PORCUPINE TREE In Absentia Review by Frankie

I can appreciate In Absentia being a let down after Lightbulb Sun. PT is definitely out of form here. Based on efforts alone, there isn't any evidence here that PT are as good a band as they are. Even classics Trains and Collapse conform to a very basic song structure that some mediocre bands occasionally luck on.

I haven't listened to In Absentia out of order, so I don't know whether or not that works, but for most part I'd say the sequencing is pretty good. The weakest part of the album for me is the Gravity Eyelids / Wedding Nails / Prodigal trio, besides that it's mostly hit and miss. A lot of songs like Blackest Eyes and Strip the Soul sound like they have the potential to be better than they are, but something annoying holds them back. I think the overall sound is a bit cringing. It's been done before. I wasn't impressed either when I heard some SW remarks that a lot of new comers would be hearing Blackest Eyes as the song to introduce them to PT, and his being proud of it in that context. Blackest Eyes loses VS any other PT Album Track One (or track 1/2 if 1 is just an intro). I think the band's sound has gone off here, and it's the only PT album missing the crucial epic that holds things together (Radioactive Toy, Burning Sky, Sky Moves Sideways Phase One, Dark Matter, Even Less, Russia On Ice, Arriving Somewhere But Not Here, Anesthetize, Time Flies), which is a total bummer.

It's still a pretty good album over all though, as long as you don't take it too seriously

Frankie's Album Score: 8 out of 10

Frankie's Song Average: 75.83%

OVERALL RATING: 77.92%

Stars Die miscellaneous tracks now?

Yep and then the In Absentia and Futile bonus doodads.

Phantoms

Reasonable enough.

6

Phantoms

A good song, which kinda foreshadows some of SW's later work - it could almost fit on Stupid Dream.

7

Phantoms

Seems like Smiling Not Smiling was inspired here.
Great version of a traditional.

8/10

Men of Wood

I don't mind this.

7

Men of Wood

I can easily see why this was taken out.
Not good but not bad either - just a try and they have done worse.

6/10

Men of Wood

Good, but doesn't really feel like PT.

7

The Sound of No-One Listening

Yeah this is pretty good. Indulgent in places, but the good parts make up.

8

The Sound of No-One Listening

I'm copying Frank again...

8

The Sound of No-One Listening

Copying both of you

8/10

Seems like Franky got lazy lately

There's always the option of going on without me if that happens

Colourflow In Mind

It's a nice quality song, but it's just missing a little something that would give it a higher score.

7

Colourflow In Mind

This is a good one but it wouldn't have fitted on any album.
I like the ending it reminds me of the theme from Schumacher's Batman movies

7/10

double post

Colourflow In Mind

Mmmmm floaty.

8

Fuse the Sky

So this is the start of Sky moves sideways, or alternate start to the sky moves sideways. It's really good actually. I'd love to hear this stuff live.

8