As much as I adore most of the Porcupine Tree back catalogue and go along with the line that Steven Wilson is a modern day genius,  there has been a tendency (for my tastes) to sometimes veer off course which is probably a result of his never ending quest for perfection and experimentation.

Although last years ‘The Raven …’ is undoubtedly a fine, fine album, I still find myself preferring ‘Insurgentes’ and ‘Grace for Drowning’ whereas his work with Mikael Akerlecht in Storm Corrosion is almost un-listenable and the less said about his latter days with Blackfield the better (do NOT mention IV, please …..).

So, a tiny bit of perspective before I state quite clearly that ‘Hand.Cannot.Erase’ is to these ears, a truly magnificent album up there with the best work Wilson has ever written, produced and recorded.

What this has in spades, in no small part due to the storyline behind the album, is a wealth of emotion with some memorably touching passages of music. There is no shortage of incredible musicianship from the outstanding band he has put together, and there are moments when you just wonder how on earth they hold it all together as they veer from what sounds like all-out jamming, jazz-fusion-prog style,  to a gorgeous funky groove.

With a group including Guthrie Govan (guitar), Adam Holzman (keyboards), Nick Beggs (bass / stick), and Marco Minneman (drums) with guest guitar also from Dave Gregory and Wilson himself,  it is no surprise the technical excellence is there, but what is added to this album is a depth of emotion and feeling.

The back-story to this album is well documented by Wilson and well worth checking out.  It’s a poignant, sad and strange story that manages to be both haunting and somehow very close to home. How many other people are lying there now, as we speak, unnoticed ……?

The artwork, the titles, the subject matter, even the web page (http://handcannoterase.com/) – all blend to form an incredible piece of work that I hope will be talked about for years to come.  The human story and the emotion-infused music suggest this may be a long-lasting meisterwerk ……

This is not a Prog album or a pop album or a metal album or jazz album and sits firmly within Wilson’s aim to be genre-less : it has a wonderful mixture of styles which together form a potent mix and offer up a compelling piece of work.

So, that’s a snapshot, a birds-eye view if you like.

I’ve always been a fan of soundscapes and soundtrack music and this is where ‘Hand.Cannot.Erase’ moves in a slightly different direction to some of Wilson’s other work. There is much more use of electronic sounds to link the pieces together and provide a subtle background. In many ways it reminds me of Craig Armstrong in places  – if you don’t know him, check out the magnificent “Weather Systems’ album – an absolute classic.

This is typified on ‘Hand. Cannot. Erase.’ by the 4th track, ‘Perfect Life’. The combination of an electronic beat, swathes of keyboards and spoken voice are cinematic and moving. From the opening spoken word section to the build up with the refrain repeated, over and over ….. simply magical.

This is a relatively simple track but it is where the album starts to move up a few notches as the emotionally intensity starts to get hold.

Before we’ve reached this point however, 4 tracks in, mention must be made of the moody intro piece ‘First Regret’ which sets the tone with cinematic piano and keyboards and hints of refrains and themes that will be re-visited throughout the album.

‘3 Years Older’  has a Rush-type riff that is tight and dynamic and at 10.00 minutes long moves in typical SW style through various genres.

The title track is a poppy little number which is full of life and energy with a deceptively simple structure but hits the right spot in so many ways. I’ve seen mention of Blackfield for this track on YouTube but the scars of IV live long in the memory for me to discount any such connection …. this is instead a gloriously catchy, and clever track.

The album now takes a decidedly darker turn, as the back story is mirrored and a melancholic air permeates the music.  ‘Routine’ introduces a spooky, intimidating soundscape that is ethereal and affecting. The final two minutes of this track are particularly outstanding as the mood is taken down again with a gorgeous choral backing accompanying Wilson’s gentle vocal and is pure movie soundtrack genius …

A harder edge then comes in with a suite of tracks that on my review copy seem linked so it’s hard to tell which one is which.  ‘Home Invasion’, ‘Regret#9’ and ‘Transcience’ combine to give a powerful section of the album which sees more instrumental work going on. There is a palpable release of this magnificent band as they hit their stride with a jazzy start moving into a funky groove then some glorious guitar work and a typical Wilson wall of sound  – I imagine this will be superb live.

As good as this is, it really doesn’t prepare you for the 13.00 minute epic that is ‘Ancestral’.  This starts with a cool, detached and melancholic opening with a beautiful chord structure that builds tension that releases in gorgeous style with a truly moving refrain. The way this track builds and suggests drama is quite startling but then around 5 minutes in, the track moves to a wonderful instrumental section which summits several peaks, let’s us take the view in for a brief moment, then plunges us back down with intense power before soaring to a truly stunning climax …. the emotional intensity of this track is powerful indeed.

The album closes with ‘Happy Returns’ which gives us time to breathe but not rest as another gorgeous track sweeps along in glorious style to the moving choral fade out that frankly, leaves you sitting rather stunned.

So there we have it.

There is little of the cold, detached, analytical Steven Wilson that sometimes pervaded his earlier solo work and instead we have a sweeping, emotional work of art that at times is quite breathtaking. The brilliance of the musicians is matched by the brilliance of the concept, the direction and the songwriting which, for me, makes this album stand out above Wilson’s previous solo work.  It has moved him on to another level not just in the music world, but as a multi-media artist in his own right.

The combination of story line, artwork, melody and musical excellence should make this album one of the highlights of 2015 …..