Steven Wilson – To the Bone: Prog rock influences hard to shake off

British musician Steven Wilson is used to people being unaware of his name and what he does. Several years ago, Wilson was dubbed “the king of prog rock’, even though his solo work and that of the band he is most associated with, Porcupine Tree, have flown under the radar for many years. The musician’s fifth solo album probably won’t make his name a household one, but there are enough forays into pop music (helped by co-writes with XTCs Andy Partridge) that will, at very least, offset his signature flashy guitar doodling and ostentatious key-change song arrangements. Embedded mostly in prog rock, however, the album rarely casts off the yoke of its many influences, which is fine if you’re into Yes or Marillion, but a major irritant if you’re not. stevenwilsonhq.com