Band:	Pure Reason Revolution
Album:	Coming Up To Consciousness
Style:	Alternative rock, Progressive rock
Release date:	September 2024
A review by:	musclassia

01. Prelude: Coming Up To Consciousness
02. Dig Till You Die
03. Interlude 1
04. Betrayal
05. The Gallows
06. Interlude 2
07. Useless Animal
08. Interlude 3
09. Worship
10. Interlude 4
11. Bend The Earth
12. Lifeless Creature
13. Interlude 5
14. As We Disappear

Before their decade-long hiatus, Pure Reason Revolution were a fairly prolific band; post-hiatus, they have maintained a similar rate of productivity with their output, even while undergoing significant overhaul of band membership.

Pure Reason Revolution initially reconvened as but a duo, albeit with the assistance of studio drummer Geoff Dugmore on Eupnea and Above Cirrus; the latter also featured a full-time return for guitarist/vocalist Greg Jong, who had initially left the band before the release of their debut record The Dark Third. However, it is with Coming Up To Consciousness that the most significant changes have occurred, as one half of that core founding duo, vocalist/bassist/keyboardist Chloë Alper, has departed Pure Reason Revolution after two decades due to scheduling conflicts. In her place on vocals is new arrival Annicke Shireen, who is also joined on the roster assembled by sole constant Jon Courtney by permanent drummer Ravi Kesavaram for the band’s third post-hiatus release.

Naturally with a change in core membership comes a shift in writing focus, as despite featuring twice as many tracks as either of the previous two outings, Coming Up To Consciousness is the shortest Pure Reason Revolution album. Part of that can be ascribed to the inclusion of six sub-minute prelude/interlude tracks, but the remaining 8 ‘full’ songs are still considerably shorter on average than usual for the group, the longest only just breaking the 6-minute barrier. Courtney and co evidently aimed for more compact songwriting this time around, and there is a notable knock-on effect with regard to the album’s overarching sound.

As a leading British mellow progressive rock band, Pure Reason Revolution have naturally been prone to comparisons to acts such as Pink Floyd, Anathema and Porcupine Tree/Steven Wilson, but the latter of these has never felt as glaring a similarity as it does this time around. Quite a lot of material on the album also seems destined to appeal to fans of The Pineapple Thief, which is perhaps apt given the guest musician contributions on the album of both Jon Sykes and Bruce Soord (who also handled mixing duties). A last significant musical contributor to Coming Up To Consciousness is Guy Pratt, who handles bass duties as a session musician in Alper’s absence.

As to why exactly I feel the parallels between Pure Reason Revolution and Porcupine Tree are more evident this time around, it’s partly just based on vibes. On the surface, the formula is broadly the same on this new record compared to past efforts (and at times more similar to The Dark Third than this album’s immediate predecessors were); calm songs textured by dainty guitar layers and keyboards are capped by warm and tender vocal harmonies. However, it is the first solo vocal line of new singer Shireen (and particularly as it is taken over by Courtney at the end of the phrase) that feels inherently derived from the melodic school of Steven Wilson, especially in combination with some of the background keyboard tones. Later in the track, Pure Reason Revolution unleash one of the chunky heavy riffs that they are prone to setting loose on infrequent yet impactful occasions, but again this feels more akin to a Porcupine Tree riff than similar instances on Eupnea or Above Cirrus.

I won’t get too bogged down in this particular comparison, as Coming Up To Consciousness isn’t a radical departure from the fundamentals that define Pure Reason Revolution. Shireen slots fairly seamlessly into the line-up; while I miss Alper’s achingly evocative voice during the solo singing moments, the harmonizing on this album remains strong. In general, the deeply potent emotionality of Eupnea is less present here, with more of an emphasis on airy proggish alt rock (as can be heard on “Betrayal” and “The Gallows”), but taken on its own terms, the writing is solid on this new offering. On top of that, there are still resonant vocal and instrumental melodies to be encountered on the likes of (again) “The Gallows” and “Bend The Earth” (the latter particularly in the closing minutes), and the ventures into heavier territory during “Useless Animal” and “Worship” pay off handsomely.

On the whole, Coming Up To Consciousness is a solid album that slots seamlessly into the great British oeuvre of mellow modern prog rock. Still, I do feel like, when assessed as part of the Pure Reason Revolution discography, it is missing a certain something in terms of sheer emotional connection and memorability. Perhaps that’s partly on me for having a greater affinity for The Dark Third and Eupnea than for the works of Steven Wilson and comparable artists (it’s likely not a coincidence that the songs with the most overlap with those earlier PRR albums, such as “Bend The Earth”, “Lifeless Creature” and “As We Disappear”, have tended to most effectively capture my attention), but even discounting that, I have struggled to find the songs that rise above the general overarching affability of the album in order to truly captivate.

Nevertheless, while it won’t contend for my favourite output from the group, Coming Up To Consciousness provides more than sufficient evidence that Pure Reason Revolution can not only survive, but thrive in the absence of Alper.