Tightly Unwound [Digipak]

Like a thief in the night leaving tasty fruit you might overlook, this Somerset, England based bittersweet progressive rock band founded by Bruce Soord (once upon a time with Vulgar Unicorn) quietly amassed a six-album discography from 1999-2007. A one-man show for some of their existence, the Pineapple Thief still earned a small but enthusiastic fan base around the world and loads of critical acclaim, but total sales of 25,000 translates to way too many people being deprived of their unique, expansive atmosphere meets in-your-face industrial rock sound. Tightly Unwound opens in a dream state, with Soord's hypnotic voice rising over a simple spacy keyboard vibe; then the strumming begins and "My Debt to You" becomes a cheerfully jangling delight -- until it slows again. "Shoot First" brings in the band's more progressive, high energy electric guitar rock fire, which bursts out between midtempo verses that breeze along in symphonic harmony until the next flare-up. The title track captures both flavors simultaneously as Soord's soothing vocals seem a bit lost amidst the boom of the drums and high-powered rock machinery and sound effects. Tracks like "The Sorry State," which is scaled back and allows the listener to drift along with the dreamy melody are more emotionally effective. Still the balance between easy and sensual and totally blistering ("My Bleeding Hand") is pretty irresistible and should finally help the Pineapple Thief appeal beyond their small rabid base. ~ Jonathan Widran|