Steven Wilson’s eighth Studio album The Overview is released by Fiction Records (The Cure / Death from Above 1979 / St. Vincent) on 14 March 2025.
The forty-two-minute album consists of two tracks: Objects Outlive Us and The Overview, each inspired by the “overview effect” experienced by astronauts looking back at the Earth from space.
Wilson describes the album as being “a 42-minute long journey based on the reported “overview effect”, whereby astronauts seeing the Earth from space undergo a transformative cognitive shift, most often experiencing an overwhelming appreciation and perception of beauty, and an increased sense of connection to other people and the Earth as a whole. However, not all experiences are positive; some see the Earth truly for what it is, insignificant and lost in the vastness of space, and the human race as a troubled species. As a reflection of that, the album presents images and stories of life on Earth, both good and bad.”
Alongside Steven, The Overview album features studio appearances from regular collaborators Craig Blundell (drums), Adam Holzman (keyboards), Randy McStine (guitars) and Rotem Wilson (spoken word), and features a set of lyrics from Andy Partridge (XTC) on one of the pieces (Objects: Meanwhile) that is part of the first track, Objects Outlive Us.
The Overview is available on a variety of formats, including CD / LP (including coloured vinyl) / Blu-ray / limited edition boxset and digital platforms.
Objects Outlive Us
The Overview is unique for a modern album, in that there are just two tracks, but each track has distinct parts that make up the whole. These individual parts flow together well, but are all very different pieces, musically and lyrically, with just the occasional revisiting and recycling of musical themes.
To contrast against a recent instance when SW has done something similar, with Tim Bowness on no-man’s Love You To Bits album, on Love You To Bits the music evolves and mutates from the same basic musical template, with only a few instances of separate standalone melodies. The Overview, though it is linked by a central theme, is mostly made up of very distinct parts with less crossover, so it feels more like a complete musical suite, with plenty of twists, turns and surprises for the listener.
Did You Forget I Exist?
The first section, No Monkey’s Paw, from Objects Outlive Us opens with disembodied vocals from SW giving a feeling of floating in space, as instruments and extra harmonies arrive on the scene. The music is beat-less at this point, driven by strings and synth pulses. A very direct, raw and emotional beginning.
A repeated piano riff and cymbals usher in the next part of the track as the tension builds, but there is still a lot of space in the arrangement. The next part, which is a much fuller and more traditional Wilson rock / pop arrangement, places the vocals very much front and centre. Its difficult to tell with just two digital files provided for review, but I think this is Objects: Meanwhile, which has lyrics by XTC’s Andy Partridge.
This section is one of my personal highlights. I love the myriad of guitar and synth lines intertwining and soaring, with a feeling of sweetly psychedelic pop. This is the only instance on the album where I could see a section existing outside of the album as a standalone “single” track, whereas the rest of the pieces feel like they are very much connected as part of the overall body of work.
I often quote strong lyrical lines in my reviews, and there are some very interesting and emotional lyrics on the album, but I won’t spoil the surprise for you, as so little has been revealed in advance.
Just before the 8 minutes mark of Objects Outlive Us the mood turns on a dime to a post-rock, distorted bass and screeching guitar workout that signals chaos and disorder, as the heaviest point on the album crashes back down to earth with a return of the previous sections lyrics and music.
The song suite continues with a guitar and piano driven vocal piece, with the vocals pushed back ever so slightly in the mix. I think this will sound stunning in surround sound, as Craig Blundell’s drums propel this song into the stratosphere, with the guitar treatment giving me Insurgentes vibes.
Frenetic, multi-layered guitars then propel us down into a spacey, almost Porcupine Tree echoing instrumental section, before opening a door back into the opening mood of the next instalment, that reveals itself as No Ghost On The Moor.
Wilson’s vocals are beautiful, languid but also emotionally hitting so deep. Whilst the music touches on the feel of early Porcupine Tree (the delay on the snare ♥), Wilson’s vocals are definitely of the now. A slow paced but absolutely heart-melting distorted guitar solo drives us home (see what I did there!) as Objects Outlive Us takes its leave.
The Overview
The second suite is the slightly shorter The Overview, commencing with a glitchy electronic piece, featuring Rotem Wilson listing aspects of the endless expanse of the universe. A delicious string motif signals a change is on it’s way, as a familiar refrain dials back into a more acoustic arrangement and introduces SW on vocals for A Beautiful Infinity I and II.
The pieces utilise a tried and trusted SW vocal delay effect, alongside a Solina synth line topped by Rhodes piano leading to some simply wonderful clear guitar solo lines and riffs. The trippy end section on the first Beautiful Infinity piece works so well, with rich harmonies weaved throughout the song. The second piece takes the section to new heights, with propulsive drums and further electrifying solos. The section is then reborn as the final part of the Infinity trilogy, with delightfully percussive electric and acoustic guitar and synths.
The mix of electronics and rock based performances make this such an exciting part of the album. If you are lucky enough to capture one of the forthcoming live shows, The Overview is likely to blow your mind.
The vocal-less Permanence takes up the final 3 minutes 30 seconds of The Overview track. The tempo drops to the floor as suspended synth and Rhodes lines deliver a late-night feeling that symbolises the wide expanse of space, along with a palpable mood of calm and relaxation following the quite frenetic feel of the earlier sections.
At this point, I think that it is worth pointing out that my review experience is not the best way to hear The Overview, as some parts are missing. Firstly, when the physical package arrives (and this album is built to be experienced in the physical format, streaming will not be a complete experience), studying the lyrics will be a required part of the first few plays. Some tracks have the vocals sitting slightly back in the mix, so studying the lyrics will help with comprehension, and will be part of appreciating the album as a complete musical experience.
I also think that the artwork will build a sense of the meaning behind the individual parts of the two tracks. And finally, whilst the stereo mix is, as always, excellent, I am expecting the album to offer a truly immersive experience in surround sound, in both 5.1 and Dolby Atmos versions. I am personally desperate to experience the album on my (admittedly quite light) 5.1.2 speaker Dolby Atmos setup. Lights off, volume up.
The press release talks of The Overview being a “return to expansive, progressive music” and I agree, but this is not the love letter to traditional progressive rock that SW displayed on his third solo album The Raven That Refused to Sing, so don’t expect that.
It is progressive in the true sense of the word, as music that expands on the boundaries of traditional genres. It is also progressive in the way that Mike Oldfield’s 1979 masterpiece Platinum tied together different genres, tempos and separate pieces that define the whole.
My comparison is not a musical one with my favourite Oldfield album, but I think they both share a bravery in the way the artists have chosen to move in and out of themes and styles to make an album that is built to be consumed in one sitting, whilst keeping your attention for the whole length of the album. It is such a fascinating, satisfying musical journey.
Wilson’s Universe
One of the personal takes I get from The Overview is how the album has one clear inspiration and influence, and that’s Wilson’s music and all that has gone before in his own career, rather than influences sparked by other artists. There are fleeting nods to his own back catalogue throughout the album, from solo releases as well as Porcupine Tree and collaborations.
I noticed subtle musical tips of the hat towards The Sky Moves Sideways as well as Hand. Cannot. Erase. I did not find myself thinking that any track or its sounds might be inspired by other artists, and so for me this album exists in its own musical universe, giving it a unique place in Wilson’s vast catalogue.
I am excited to hear fans opinions of The Overview from release day onwards, as unlike previous recent albums, so little of the music has been teased in advance. Listeners will get to experience the album on their first listen in the way it is meant to be heard, in one complete sitting, fresh and unknown.
I hope you love the album as much as I do, and please feel free to leave comments on my review.
Buckle up and enjoy the trip!
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Tracklisting
OBJECTS OUTLIVE US (23.17)
No Monkey’s Paw
The Buddha Of The Modern Age
Objects: Meanwhile (lyrics by Andy Partridge)
The Cicerones
Ark
Cosmic Sons Of Toil
No Ghost On The Moor
Heat Death Of The Universe
THE OVERVIEW (18.27)
Perspective
A Beautiful Infinity I
Borrowed Atoms
A Beautiful Infinity II
Infinity Measured In Moments
Permanence
Visit Steven Wilson’s website for news and tour dates.
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