Published on Jul 13, 2001
It’s not unusual for a Marillion album to confuse me on the
first listen. In fact, it’s not unusual for a Marillion album to
confuse me after several listens. Steve Hogarth and crew are a more
complicated band than one might see on the surface, and it often
takes some time to get comfortable with one of their albums before
the listener is finally ushered into the discovery of what the band
was trying to accomplish.
So, you can imagine that I was taken aback by Marillion’s latest
release,
Anoraknophobia, when I found myself actually grooving out to
this disc on the very first listen. Wait a minute, something’s
wrong here. Something
has to be wrong here. This is the same band whose album
Misplaced Childhood I listened to for over a year before I
was ready to pass any kind of judgment on it.
Quite possibly the most commercial Marillion album to hit the
market (and I admit I still have a few discs in their backcatalog
to get to) without betraying their progressive roots, Marillion
have made a bold statement, and a stronger one than their last
release
marillion.com. And while there are still a few moments where
things don’t seem like they’re quite fleshed out, this disc is a
pleasant surprise.
Oh, sure, some people could argue that
Anoraknophobia might not have happened had Hogarth not
recorded his solo album
Ice Cream Genius a few years ago. That slab of pop pleasure
is called to mind on more than one track on
Anoraknophobia. Songs like “Map Of The World” and “Between
You And Me” almost scream for acceptance on the radio; the thing
is, they’re so good, one wonders what’s keeping stations from
throwing these into their programming mix. “Map Of The World” is an
absolute pleasure that stands as strong as such Marillion classics
as “Kayleigh” and “Sugar Mice”. If there were any worries about
Marillion stagnating after nearly 20 years since
Script For A Jester’s Tear, these early moments should
squelch those fears.
Other tracks seem to suck you in, even if you are taken in
kicking and screaming. “When I Meet God” might remind some people
of Dishwalla’s “Counting Blue Cars” with the female imagery of God,
but this song is actually much deeper than Dishwalla’s, even if it
won’t necessarily start any theological arguments. Musically, it’s
quite charming – though, to be honest, that’s almost expected from
Marillion these days. Likewise, “Separated Out,” a tribute to the
“freaks” of society (either physical or imagined by the general
populace), isn’t one you will really want to enjoy, but you can’t
help yourself.
There are only two semi-weak moments on
Anoraknophobia. The first, “The Fruit Of The Wild Rose,”
just doesn’t have the kind of impact that the bulk of the songs on
this disc do. It lacks a lyrical spark that could have taken it to
new heights; instead, Hogarth and crew seem happy to leave this as
a laconic song. In a similar vein, “This Is The 21st Century” has
some powerful moments, but the track as a whole doesn’t have the
impetus it could have. (On the other hand, I might hate the title
of “If My Heart Were A Ball It Would Roll Uphill,” but the music is
quite pleasing, especially the vocal harmonies.)
Marillion constantly sets a bar of expectations so high that it
seems like no band will be able to clear it. That’s been a standard
of their work for two decades.
Anoraknophobia easily clears that bar, and is possibly
Marillion’s best work since
This Strange Engine.