May 5th, 2024 - A Big Crispy/Closure/Continuation

 

Hey there!  Happy Sunday!  Your drinking buddy the Meista here today pairing "Closure/Continuation", by Porcupine Tree and a tasty and crisp Big Crispy from the fine folks at Bewilder Brewing Company!

Album Info:

• Artist: Porcupine Tree
• Title: "Closure/Continuation"
• Recorded: 2011 through September 2021 at the home studios of each band member
• Release date: June 24th, 2022 (11th studio album by Porcupine Tree)
• Record company: Music for Nations
• Production: Porcupine Tree
• Album cover art: Ian Anderson of The Designers Republic
• Personnel: Richard Barbieri (keyboards and synthesizers), Gavin Harrison (drums and percussion), and Steven Wilson (lead vocals, guitars, bass, and piano)
• Additional musicians: Suzanne Barbieri (voice sample on "Harridan"), Lisen Rylander Löve (voice sample on "Harridan"), Inspector J (ambience field recording on "Harridan"), and Klankbeeld (ambience field recording sample on "Dignity")
• Musical style: Progressive rock, experimental rock, art rock
• Sound: Very progressive, challenging, and engaging, yet aggressive and emotional, the album is a testament to the genius that is Porcupine Tree!  The band is tight, on point, and wonderfully brilliant!
• Major themes: Life, reunion, closure, continuity, loss, an existential reflection on mortality and death, violence and paranoia in modern society, the paranormal, politics, etc.
• Tracks:

1. "Population Three"
2. "Never Have"
3. "Love In The Past Tense"
4. "Harridan"
5. "Of The New Day"
6. "Rats Return"
7. "Dignity"
8. "Herd Culling"
9. "Walk The Plank"
10. "Chimera's Wreck"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Bewilder Brewing Company (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: https://bewilderbrewing.com/
• Brew: Big Crispy
• Style: West Coast Pilsner
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 6.0%
• IBUs: 35
• Pour: The Big Crispy pours a clear, bright golden-yellow with a bright white, frothy, 1-finger head with good retention and soapy lacing.
• Nose: The nose is grainy, crackery, grassy, and hoppy.  There are aromas of freshly baked sourdough bread, crackery biscuit, lemongrass, grapefruit rind, lemon zest, a hint of honey, and freshly cut wild grass.
• Taste: Following the nose, the taste is malty, citrusy, crackery, and grassy.  There are notes of crackery biscuit, cracked wheat, lemongrass, lemon zest, an ever so slight hint of honey, grassy hops, and light caramel.
• Mouthfeel: Light to medium-bodied and well carbonated, the mouthfeel is very crisp and refreshing with a dry, clean, yet slightly bitter finish.

Overall pairing: The Bewilder Big Crispy is a very tasty, very crisp, very drinkable, somewhat light, yet complex brew... perfect for an afternoon of rocking out to the brilliance of Porcupine Tree's "Closure/Continuation"! I also liked the look of the album cover art and the beer label together.  'Nuff said!

Cheers!