Review
The Pineapple Thief's sixteenth album is also their first for InsideOut, and the move from a label they had called home for roughly two decades shows up in how the record was built. The band cut back on layering. Guitars rarely run more than two parts at once, and three singers work with three-part harmonies instead of stacking six. The arrangements sound airier as a result, with more air around each instrument.
Gavin Harrison's drums sit a little deeper in the mix, with a touch more reverb, which lets the synths and Jon Sykes's bass show more colour. Steve Kitch's keyboards come forward across several tracks rather than surfacing for one showcase, and Bruce Soord solos more freely than before. The opener "New World Order" moves on a restless 10/8 groove that sets the record's pace.
Nine songs and just under 48 minutes keep the running time lean. The ballad "Still Living" and the closer "No Exceptions" slow things down near the end, and the sequence works best heard straight through. It is a confident, well-played statement that stays within the band's established lane.
