Released: 2023

Genres: Art Rock, Electronic

The Musiquarium’s The Harmony Codex Review Score: 7.5 out of 10

A major improvement over 2021’s THE FUTURE BITES, which tried too hard to walk the line of being both commercially-viable and artistically satirical (much like Arcade Fire’s maligned 2017 album, Everything Now), The Harmony Codex is Steven Wilson getting closer to his usual benchmark of quality, while also dabbling in electronics.

Despite the electronic aspect of The Harmony Codex, Wilson still uses plenty of tricks from his prog arsenal. The album is bookended with two epics, Inclination and Staircase, as well as the lengthy jazz fusion track, Impossible Tightrope. Frequent collaborator Ninet Tayeb makes a return on the self-penned, Rock Bottom. The glitchy Economies of Scale and the Pink Floyd-esque What Life Brings were released as singles and are both highlights.

Despite what was done right compared to THE FUTURE BITES, there are still a few questionable decisions on The Harmony Codex, like that weird vocal effect on Time Is Running Out, or the deep, almost rapping voice on Actual Brutal Facts. The album is also lacking some excitement and tends to feel a bit robotic at times, however, those are small complaints to what amounts to an otherwise solid Steven Wilson album and a major improvement over its predecessor. That cover art is great too.

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

Back to the 2023 Album Guide or the Steven Wilson Reviews page.

Written by Brett Nippard