Two years after their concert in the same venue, The Pineapple Thief is back at the Paris Élysée-Montmartre in support of their new album "It Leads To This", another fine serving of Neo-Progressive Rock falling somewhere between Porcupine Tree and Radiohead. Like the album, the show was a fantastic offering of sophisticated music, with immediate, urgent melodies, intricate rhythms and almost cinematic vibes.
Alternating atmospheric melodies with heavier grooves, the band is even tighter than before. Bruce Soord really seems to have really embraced his role as a frontman and at times he even allows himself to indulge in displays of rock n' roll heroics. His voice is strong and emotive, perfectly supported by bassist Jon Sykes' backing harmonies which are the band's secret weapon. Gavin Harrison is a spectacular drummer but always serves the song. Alternately thundering and quasi-ambiant, his playing has taken the band to new heights and the older songs from the band's repertoire that have been revamped to fit his style have really benefitted from the makeover. Beren Matthews seems to be a bona-fide part of the band now, since he has contributed guitars and singing to the new record and he has really established his presence on stage.
Although not sold-out, the concert hall was nearly full and it's great to see The Pineapple Thief, now a full-fledged band instead of a one-man project, reaping what they started sowing nearly a quarter century ago.
Experience or re-live the concert by playing the setlist in the embedded Apple Music player below
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