While I find it ironic in a sense that a guy who hates the term "progressive rock" so publicly has become the modern spokesperson for said genre, the praise is deserved to a certain point. Other than guys like Devin Townsend or the real obvious bands like Opeth and Dream Theater, Steven Wilson is among a select few that has developed a truly lucrative career in a style of music relegated to mostly curiosity status by the majority of people out there. Not unlike today's biggest pop stars, all he has to do his snap his fingers and he could sell out an arena.

But make no mistake, To The Bone is the first album he's done since the mid 00's with Porcupine Tree that I could see headlining a major tour. Not because its the "pop meets prog" taboo that the player haters made it out to be, but because its a proggy alternative rock album with a lot of good hooks and accessibility. The pop elements are secondary, but just as prominent as anything on Deadwing or In Absentia. This isn't new territory for Wilson, but I think he's got it down to a science.

And true to form, there's a lot of variation here: the title track has a hi-tech bounce / groove going on that hearkens back to Pink Floyd circa The Wall or maybe So by Peter Gabriel, and 'The Same Asylum As Before' could have easily been a Side B number on Radiohead's The Bends, Brit-pop guitar shreddage and all. And then there's the big single 'Permanating', which is the Baroque glory of Electric Light Orchestra by the way of New Radicals and all the better for it.

Sometimes the best thing you can do for your car is to put some air in the tires and get some new rims instead of going for something completely out there. To The Bone won't change any minds about the modern "prog" sound, but the great arrangements and hooks certainly don't disappoint.