Peter Gabriel - Up
(Virgin)
It's finally here. After a decade of waiting, Peter Gabriel has finally returned. Oh, sure, he did Ovo in 2000 and Long Walk Home just a few months ago, but those were throwaways. The fact of the matter is, no one has heard a substantial set of songs from Peter Gabriel since 1992's Us. By this time, some people began to doubt Gabriel would ever release a new album. It became a running joke between fans. But then, out of the blue, Peter remasters his back catalogue and announces a new album, Up.
At first glance, Up may seem like just another Peter Gabriel album, all odd instrumentation and oblique lyricism. But a closer listen reveals several differences from his last few outings. First of all, the album is incredibly dark. It's easily his darkest record since Peter Gabriel III. The first track is called "Darkness." And other titles like "No Way Out," "I Grieve," and "The Drop" all indicate the tone of the album.
The other thing noticeably different about Up is the absence of African and Middle Eastern instruments. Through Security, some of So, and all of Us, exotic instruments and odd instrument combinations (such as African drums and bagpipes) abounded. Here, the instruments are fairly standard, with a bigger reliance on electronics than before, and only hints of the complex percussion of albums past on "I Grieve." "Signal To Noise," on the other hand, sounds like something from Passion, and coming as the next to last song, it feels like a revelation.
That's not to say the rest of the album is bad. Not at all. Like Us, Gabriel has crafted an album whose songs may not be immediately catchy, but with repeated listens, they take root and the listener reaps the many rewards hidden in this set. It's hard to get into the album, it's even more introspective than the typical Gabriel album, and the length of the songs seem daunting. But while Peter Gabriel may not release a high quantity of music, he makes sure that what he does release is of the highest quality, and it shows.
The differences between this and Gabriel's other albums only serve to prove that he isn't running in place musically. He's always moving forward, and it's encouraging to know that men of such talent exist. In a world where bands like The Strokes are hailed as the second coming of The Velvet Underground, hearing a truly creative work like Up is a breath of fresh air. Take some time to really absorb Peter Gabriel's latest musical odyssey and masterpiece.
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