I hated the last two solo albums that Steven Wilson released. Not because of whatever genre he wanted to do. Rather, it was just that they weren’t up to standards in the song department. Wilson is a great songwriter and had always written great pop hooks, regardless of if the song was actually “prog.” The reason that the last Porcupine Tree album worked for me was not just the style but the songs were strong. The album included styles that PT hadn’t tried. It worked.

So now Wilson is back with another solo album. Yes I was VERY apprehensive. “The Harmony Codex” is a bit like a jigsaw puzzle. Stylewise it has some prog, some pop and some electronica. But what it has that the last 2 albums didn’t? Really good songs. Granted the album does jump around song to song when it comes to genres but it just kept me on my toes. I kept waiting for a song to bore me and the only time that almost happened was near the end with “Actual Brutal Facts” which isn’t terrible but just not on par with the rest of the album.

People have heard a few tracks already. There’s the first single “Economies of Scale” which was what the last album SHOULD have been. It’s definitely electronica but it’s a GOOD SONG. Then there’s “Impossible Tightrope” which is a mostly instrumental track that reminds me of Ozric Tentacles at a Jazz festival. It works. Ninet Tayeb is back on “Rock Bottom” and raises the song to another level like she always does. Her voice is incredible as usual, maybe even more raspy. This is definitely one of my favorite tracks on the album and perhaps in Wilson’s solo catalog.

“What Life Brings” could fit on any of Wilson’s albums or PT even. It’s a no gimmick pop track and should be on radios everywhere but won’t be. It’s not a shiny happy pop song (thankfully) but has all of the power and sensibility of Wilson’s classic “straight forward” songs. There are two tracks that utilize spoken word which I sometimes (often) have a problem with. The title track and the closing track “Staircase” have a similar monologue that is quite philosophical without being preachy. I won’t get into the specifics but I do like it in both tracks. In some ways, it reminds me of Nordic Giants who I love.

I’m not going to rant on and on. You can read a bunch of other reviews that will dissect this album down to the fucking note. The bottom line for me is that “The Harmony Codex” is Steven Wilson’s summation of his solo works. It has the most variety since “Grace For Drowning” and probably reminds me most of that album for that reason. It doesn’t rehash the prog of “The Raven…” or get lost in the over self importance of “The Future Bites.” Instead, “The Harmony Codex” does whatever Steven Wilson wants from moment to moment and comes across as his most original solo album.

Rating: 9/10
Release date: Friday, September 29th 2023