Released: 2011

Genres: Progressive Rock, Jazz Rock, Art Rock

The Musiquarium’s Grace for Drowning Review Score: 4/5

On Steven Wilson’s second solo album, he drops the noise and drone elements of Insurgentes and doubles down on progressive rock and jazz fusion, with a heavy King Crimson influence.

Postcard is among the most beautiful and accessible songs in the Steven Wilson oeuvre, providing the same type of piano pop that Porcupine Tree’s Lazarus had offered six years prior. Index is moody and exotic, joined by strings halfway into the song. Raider II is one of Wilson’s longest compositions, at a mammoth 23 minutes and was probably the most he’d ventured into King Crimson territory at this point in time (particularly that band’s 1973-1974 material).

Grace for Drowning has shown that Steven Wilson’s solo debut solo wasn’t a fluke and that he can continue to thrive without Porcupine Tree.

For credit breakdowns and historic release details, view Steven Wilson on Discogs.

Back to the 2011 Album Guide or the Steven Wilson Reviews page.

Written by Brett Nippard