Steven Wilson — frontman of Porcupine Tree and prolific solo artist and producer — has announced a new album titled The Overview. The LP will be released on March 14th via Fiction Records.
The album is comprised of just two lengthy multi-part songs, “Objects Outlive Us” (23:17) and “The Overview” (18:27).
“The Overview is a 42-minute long journey based on the reported ‘overview effect,’” stated Wilson, “whereby astronauts seeing the Earth from space undergo a transformative cognitive shift, most often experiencing an overwhelming appreciation and perception of beauty, and an increased sense of connection to other people and the Earth as a whole.”
He continued, “However, not all experiences are positive; some see the Earth truly for what it is, insignificant and lost in the vastness of space, and the human race as a troubled species. As a reflection of that, the album presents images and stories of life on Earth, both good and bad.”
The Overview features Wilson collaborating with Craig Blundell (drums), Adam Holzman (keyboards), and Randy McStine (guitars). Meanwhile, XTC’s Andy Partridge wrote the lyrics for the “Objects: Meanwhile” section of the track “Objects Outlive Us.”
In addition to the music, the album will be accompanied by a full-length film directed by visual artist Miles Skarin. A premiere of the album and film will take place February 25th at London’s BFI IMAX, along with a Q&A session.
It’s been a very productive few years for Wilson. The Overview is the follow-up to Wilson’s 2023 album, The Harmony Codex, which came after Porcupine Tree released their first album in 12 years, Closure/Continuation, in 2022. Wilson also released The Itself of Itself, a new album from his solo project Bass Communion in 2024.
Wilson will embark on a previously announced tour of the UK and Europe in May and June (pick up tickets here). A press release notes that North and South American dates will be announced shortly.
Watch a 30-second teaser for The Overview, and see the artwork and tracklist, below. Pre-order the album here.
The Overview Artwork:
The Overview Tracklist:
“Objects Outlive Us” (23.17)
No Monkey’s Paw
The Buddha of the Modern Age
Objects: Meanwhile (lyrics by XTC’s Andy Partridge)
The Cicerones
Ark
Cosmic Sons of Toil
No Ghost on The Moor
Heat Death of the Universe
“The Overview” (18.27)
Perspective
A Beautiful Infinity I
Borrowed Atoms
A Beautiful Infinity II
Infinity Measured In Moments
Permanence