Blackfield self-titled album

Blackfield, Blackfield's debut album from 2004

A project born from the collaboration between the genius Steven Wilson and Aviv Geffen, this album was part of the band's original lineup, which then dwindled over time to become a duo with many collaborators and Wilson's increasingly diminished presence, as seen in the posts for their later works.

The beautiful lyrics reflect the album's mood, endowed with a strange, beautiful melancholy and a fantastic atmosphere.

The great Gavin Harrison also features on drums on two tracks, Open Mind and Pain.

This is, in my opinion, the band's best album, with Blackfield II and V only a step behind, in my opinion.

A beautiful album, composed of 10 short but powerfully melodic pop-rock songs.

A pop with a prog edge, featuring some very substantial pieces. Among my favorites are the beautiful title track, Blackfield, Pain, and The Hole in Me, which have beautiful melodies and a tempo I prefer. There are also softer songs like Lullaby, Summer, Cloudy Now, and Hello.

"Open Mind" is more reminiscent of the works with Porcupine Tree than the others, with a splendid orchestral part.

"Blackfield" is an exceptional song with a great arrangement.
"Glow" features excellent piano and a beautiful orchestral part, followed by a huge drum kit that gives breadth to the song.
"Scars" is a pop-paced song with excellent use of electronics, which then opens with an excellent melody, very open and spacious. Beautiful.
A very moving lullaby featuring piano and string quartet.
"Pain" is, in my opinion, a real hit, with a beautiful melody and a melancholic atmosphere.
"Summer" is a beautiful song, beginning with acoustic guitar and vocals and evolving into a soft, light, yet moving, mood that culminates in a beautiful electric guitar solo.
"Cloudy Now" begins with acoustic guitar and vocals, creating a melancholic, romantic mood. The chorus, with its piano riff, is beautiful. The second half reminds us of a Porcupine Tree-like sound, with a beautiful rock rhythm that closes the song.
"The Hole in Me" begins with beautiful horns and a ballad-like rhythm; the vocals are filtered and almost spoken. It opens up a lot at times, then returns to its syncopated pace. Very beautiful.
"Hello" features a piano that creates a fantastic melody, perhaps the best on the album, an incredible song in terms of both music and lyrics.

An excellent album, the first of a project, in which Wilson has absolutely confirmed himself as a great composer in multiple genres.

Blackfield's beautiful production is a more prog album than the (albeit excellent) No-Man project, but still not prog, but still prog and psychedelic in some moments and digressions of the band.
A must-have for your collection.

Tracks
1. Open Mind (3:50)
2. Blackfield (4:07)
3. Glow (4:00)
4. Scars (3:57)
5. Lullaby (3:29)
6. Pain (3:47)
7. Summer (4:12)
8. Cloudy Now (3:34)
9. The Hole in Me (2:47)
10. Hello (3:09)
Running Time: 36:52

The Lineup
- Aviv Geffen - lead vocals, guitars, co-producer
- Steven Wilson - lead vocals, guitars, co-producer and mixing
- Daniel Salomon - keyboards, backing vocals, strings
- Seffy Efrati - bass
- Chris Maitland - drums (2, 9, 10), backing vocals
Featuring:
- Gavin Harrison - drums (1, 6)
- Yirmy Kaplan - drums (3, 7)
- The Illusion Quartet - strings (1, 5, 7, 10)
- The Mistakes (D. Salomon, S. Efrati, Tomer Z, Eran Mitelman) - instrumental recording (4)