Steven Wilson – The Future Bites (2021)

I've recently become more and more interested in the work of Steven Wilson, and his original band Porcupine Tree, and one of my musical highlights of 2025 has been his album The Overview, so far only streamed. So, on finding myself in a large CD shop in Cambridge, and wanting to treat myself, I found a huge range of his albums, and being me, chose the lowest priced one.

And to be honest, this one hasn't really grabbed me. It opens with the short acoustic Self, more of an intro into the longer, almost disco beat of Unself.

King Ghost is a little more interesting, a gentle piece with real depth, followed by the catchy 12 Things I Forgot, far more of a well constructed pop song than the 21st century prog you'd associate with Wilson. I recognised the opening to Eminent Sleaze, as the theme to Wilson's excellent podcast with Tim Bowness, The Album Years, well worth a listen, and it's a phrase which continues throughout this ordinary song. Man Of The People is a slow ballad-like song which doesn't really inspire me. But with a quick turn clockwise of the volume knob, we're into the far more interesting full blooded spacey prog of Personal Shopper, probably the best (and longest) track on the album, and Follower continues the solid rock feel, but after those highlights, the slow, Count Of Unease, almost lullaby in sound, really feels like an anti-climax which drags on and on.

While this is broadly a decent listen, it feels lacking in the inventiveness and excitement I'd expect from other Wilson work I've listened to. It's not one of his best.

Link to full album

3* - an album which has its moments, but these are rarer than you'd expect from a Steven Wilson album