One of the most active, and enjoyably melodic prog bands in recent years has been The Pineapple Thief. They have released eight classic albums in the past 10 years, including last year’s highly regarded ‘Versions of the Truth.’ Like most bands, they were eager to tour their new album; and like most bands were unable to do so. Unable to hit the road, but still wanting to give their fans something, they opted to do what many other bands did during the pandemic; record in a studio for a live streaming event. The result is the upcoming release ‘Nothing But the Truth,’ an hour and thirty-five-minute performance. And is a sonic treat that their fans will enjoy.
Unsurprisingly the setlist is heavy on material from the most recent album, all but a few are performed, but there is a good mix of earlier songs as well. Being more of a casual fan of the band, I didn’t see the streaming event, nor heard the most recent album, so I perhaps enjoyed the performances of earlier songs that I knew a bit more, but the whole performance is excellent. This video and audio quality is as good as any I’ve ever seen or heard. And the controlled setting lets the band mastermind Bruce Soord’s melodies, and strong compositional skills shine. With the band’s studio setting, and plenty of prep time the band is as tight and sharp as they could possibly be. Gavin Harrison’s addition to the band in 2016 was a perfect touch, and his subtle, yet incredibly precise, and powerful drumming ups the musicianship of the whole band.
As mentioned previously the setlist is heavy on the new songs, the show starting with “Versions of the Truth” is no great surprise then. Soord’s vocals soar, and the camera sweeps, and circles the band, which along with the lighting, shows that they have every intent to utilize their studio space. They follow it up with “In Exile” which is one of my favorite songs from their 2016 ‘Your Wilderness’ so that was a nice treat.
Given the way the show is set up, there isn’t really a lot to say about the individual songs. If you’ve heard the studio versions of these songs, then you pretty much know what you’re going to hear. Without an audience, there’s no real energy, or live feel to it, it plays exactly like what it is, a band playing in the studio with a camera crew, this is driven home even more by the addition of the song titles between every song, so there’s a pause even more than on a regular album. But as I said, the video and the audio are stunning, and the performance is technical perfection. But as far as a concert film experience goes, you’re probably as well off just listening to the audio, as you are watching the performance.
Under difficult situations, and no touring, The Pineapple Thief still wanted to give their audience a live performance that they could enjoy for years to come. The result was an at times stiff, but technically perfect performance in the form of ‘Nothing But the Truth.’ Fans who didn’t see the live stream will now have the chance to do so, and hardcore fans will surely enjoy it thoroughly.
