Peter Gabriel is not a man in a hurry. Twenty-one years have passed since his last album of original songs, Up. But the former Genesis frontman has always preferred depth to productivity, and that can be heard on his new album, I/Opublished a few days ago.
We say “new”, although in reality, the 12 pieces of I/O have all been released individually over the past year, with a new song every full moon. The fans had therefore already tasted it. But it’s another experience to hear this material together, in an organized whole.
At 73 years old, Peter Gabriel is not trying to be a young man. He embraces his age perfectly, but has lost none of his acuity. I/O is a thought-provoking “art rock” album, tackling such fundamental themes as technology, the passage of time and our place in the world.
Surveillance culture (Panopticom), social justice (The Court), interconnection of man and nature (Olive Tree): the major themes of our time are evoked with elegance. More personal, So Much And And Still wonder about old age and our purpose. Despite a certain seriousness, the album carries a form of optimism and contains some more funky pieces that can recall the Gabriel of the 1980s (Road to Joy).
On the critical side, we can regret titles that are a bit dull (Love can Heal, Live and Let Live) and some slightly dated sounds, which take us directly back to the early 1990s, a palette which can perhaps be explained by the presence of the eternal old accomplices, Tony Levin on bass, Manu Katché on drums and David Rhodes on the guitar.
On the other side, we must admit that Gabriel’s voice is still as clear, unique and moving. That this album has the merit of taking its time. That it is relevant, deep, nourishing and of consistent quality. To be placed among the good vintages of Gabriel, an artist who has managed to age well, like his colleagues David Byrne and Brian Eno (the latter also plays on the album).
Note thatI/O is available in three formats. A “bright” mix made by Mark Stent (Beyonce, Ed Sheeran, Lady Gaga, and Madonna), a “dark” mix made by Tchad Blake (T Bone Burnett, Los Lobos, Sheryl Crow, Black Keys) and even a Dolby mix Atmos for freaks sound of the future.
Extract of I/O, Bright-Side Mix
Rock
I/O
Peter Gabriel
Real World