Lightbulb Sun
| Lightbulb Sun | ||||
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Cover art by John Foxx
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| Studio album by Porcupine Tree | ||||
| Released | 22 May 2000 | |||
| Recorded | Foel Studio/No Man's Land Nov. 1999 – January 2000 |
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| Genre | Progressive rock, alternative rock | |||
| Length | 56:17 | |||
| Label | Snapper | |||
| Producer | Steven Wilson | |||
| Porcupine Tree chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Lightbulb Sun | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   |
| ARTISTdirect |  |
| Drowned In Sound | (8/10) |
| Pitchfork Media | (6.7/10) |
Lightbulb Sun is the sixth studio album by British progressive rock band Porcupine Tree, first released in May 2000, and later reissued in 2008 on CD, DVD-A surround sound, and vinyl.
This album, along with their prior album Stupid Dream, are considered to have a more commercial, poppier sound, opposed to the abstract instrumental sound of their prior albums, or the heavier metal sound in their subsequent albums of the 2000s. The album is divided into two parts between "Rest Will Flow" and "Hatesong". The first part concentrates more on melodic, pop elements of Porcupine Tree's style, while the second has a more experimental character.
Frontman Steven Wilson remarked that album was "The quickest album we ever made (in 3 months flat)" and yet still "our best work to date", and was released a mere 14 months after their previous album, Stupid Dream. Lyrically, Wilson had tired of writing about abstract concepts like war or religion, and felt he had the confidence to write more personal and emotional lyrics, leading to some especially negative lyrics being displayed in tracks such as "Hatesong" and "Feel So Low".
Musically, Wilson stated he wanted to bring back some of the experimental aspects they had moved away from on Stupid Dream, stating "Richard [Barbieri] and I worked on creating some unique keyboard sounds for the album – e.g. the 'fairground' on 'How is Your Life Today?' and the 'insects' at the end of 'Russia On Ice'". He also spoke of the influence of metal music on the album, stating, "... part of the beauty of the guitar solo on 'Where We Would Be' comes from the fact that it was played relatively straight but then fed through so many distortion and lo-fi processes that it began to fizz and disintegrate. The riffing guitars on 'Russia On Ice' are pure metal and one of the solos of 'Hatesong' I call my 'Korn solo' on account of the fact that the bottom strings on the guitar are tuned down so low that the notes can be bent several tones". Conversely, the band added more unconventional instruments to the compositions as well, such as the banjo, hammered dulcimers, and more string sections. String sections in Lightbulb Sun were arranged and produced by Dave Gregory from alternative rock band XTC at Christchurch Studios, Clifton, Bristol in January 2000, recorded by John Waterhouse.
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