Peter Gabriel

Item: Up
Author: Josh Hurst

(2002)

Reviewed by Josh Hurst

Discogs Bandcamp Apple Music TIDAL Amazon Music Spotify

Label Geffen RecordsThe Rebel Base2002

art rock experimental world

If ever an album was inappropriately titled, it was certainly Peter Gabriel's Up. Though the title might suggest to some fans that uplift and encouragement of previous Gabriel releases, the new album is actually just the opposite, instead painting in dark colors and focusing on themes of mortality and loss.

Diehard fans are likely foaming at the mouth over Up, Gabriel's newest offering since 1992's Us (did he have to make the titles so similar?), but one listen to the album opener, "Darkness," will make the wait seem well worth it. The twisted tradeoff between sinister industrial chaos and peaceful, soothing piano lines create one of the most musically addictive songs of the singer/songwriter's impressive career. Even more potent are the lyrics, which, like the music itself, alternate between dark and light; one minute, Gabriel bellows and wails tormented expressions of primal fear, the next minute he tries to reassure us, telling us that fear does not have to totally paralyze us.

Peter Gabriel has always excelled at throwing different musical genres and interesting sounds into a big mixing bowl and emerging with a curiously intoxicating musical brew that is uniquely Peter Gabriel. He doesn't copy other artists; rather, other artists copy him. This remarkable trend continues on Up, which may be his thickest wall of sound yet. "Growing Up," for example, is a hypnotic bed of synthesizers that build into a full-blown techno/dance chorus. "Sky Blue" sports bluesy guitar licks from acclaimed musician Daniel Lanois and guest vocals from the Blind Boys of Alabama, and reminders of Gabriel's love for world music and strong percussion riffs abound. Astonishingly, these exotic sounds fit like matching apparel, never feeling forced or out of place.

Lyrically, the album follows the bleak precedent set by "Darkness." Up could be described as the tale of a man searching for answer and meaning in life, haunted by the shadow of death and loss, trying to make sense of the noise and confusion of the world around him. This cultural chaos is particularly evident in "The Barry Williams Show," an over-the-top satire of trashy talk shows like Jerry Springer.

Other than that one moment of levity and wit, though, the ironically-titled Up is anything but. Gabriel's focus here is on man's mortality and the degeneration of our culture. There is a meaning to life, but it's hard to hear God's voice over the roar of our society, and, with death looming, time is running out. Gabriel sounds like he still hasn't found what he's looking for, and he's absolutely terrified that he may never find the elusive answers.

Sound depressing? It is. For the first time in Gabriel's long career, the enigmatic poet comes painfully short of offering any substantial messages of optimism or hope. Fans of, say, Radiohead probably won't mind, but those looking for the uplift of Gabriel classics like "In Your Eyes" may be disappointed with Up.

When the artist does offer encouragement, his sentiments of hope ring surprisingly hollow. Take "Darkness," for example, which finds Gabriel sighing "I have my fears, but they do not have me." While this revelation sounds vaguely hopeful, it is unfounded. Gabriel never points to the source of his hope, as he did on songs like "Mercy Street."

Another blemish pops up in the form of "The Barry Williams Show," which, despite boasting a few sharp lines, seems a bit too easy for Peter Gabriel, one of music's wittiest satirists. Pointing out the sick, money-driven nature of television is simply stating the obvious.

Up will likely fall short of becoming a revered pop music classic like So, but Gabriel's return to the brooding art-rock of his past has yielded one of the year's most fascinating and delicious albums yet. A compelling fusion of techno, pop, and world music, Peter Gabriel's journey into the darkness might go down in the books as his beautiful downer.

Review Summary

1. What does the album sound like?

Up combines elements of techno, pop, art-rock, and world music and flavors it with moody piano lines and dense production, creating a soundscape that is uniquely Peter Gabriel.

2. Is the album well-made?

For the most part, yes, though Gabriel's satirical wit seems a bit dull this time around. Also, some of his sentiments of hope ring hollow; in "Darkness," for example, he tells us that everything is going to be alright, but never gives us any reason for his optimism.

3. Will you enjoy the album?

If you're a Peter Gabriel fan who doesn't mind the fact that the singer's sense of optimism seems to have disappeared, or if you're in the mood for something a little different, then you just might. Fans of Radiohead and U2's 90s work might enjoy this.

4. Final Score: 4 out of 5.

4/5