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- Summary: The first full-length studio release of new material from Peter Gabriel since 2002's Up features contributions from Ai Weiwei, Nick Cave, Olafur Eliasson, Henry Hudson, Annette Messager, Antony Micallef, David Moreno, Cornelia Parker, Megan Rooney, Tim Shaw, David Spriggs and Barthélémy Toguo.
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- Record Label: Real World Records
- Genre(s): Pop/Rock
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Score distribution:
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Positive: 15 out of 16
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Mixed: 1 out of 16
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Negative: 0 out of 16
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Dec 4, 2023The magnificently eerie Four Kinds of Horses is the record’s peak, while maternal elegy And Still feels like the most open, vulnerable song he has ever sung.
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Nov 30, 2023It is utterly mesmerizing that Gabriel can still find new and unique ways to present his art to the world and the double mixes of this album only add to the nuanced mystique of his approach. Dark-Side or Bright-Side, these 12 songs are full-body experiences with cascading melodies that pull you in every direction. i/o cements Gabriel as one of the most innovative and daring artists of his time.
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Dec 4, 2023What makes I/O unique, even special, is that the process of searching isn't central to the finished product. There's no restlessness here, only acceptance, a quality that gives I/O a quiet power that can't help but build over time.
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Nov 30, 2023What did we get for our 20-year wait? Something substantive, something deeply considered. [Jan 2024, p.87]
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Dec 1, 2023Gabriel’s most consistent and cohesive post-80s record and the most philosophical of his life. [Jan 2024, p.78]
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Nov 30, 2023There are points where his relentless utopianism can sound trite. .... But, let’s face it, these are nice flaws to have. In an era where so many of our musical heroes seem to be growing more cantankerous and ill-tempered with age, it comes as a welcome relief to see one heritage act pushing positively into the future – and making some of the warmest and most joyous music of his career. [Review of the Year 2023, p.21]
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Nov 30, 2023While the “Bright Side” mixes bring out the album’s more dynamic range, the lyrics lack the edge of Gabriel’s early music. The earnest perspectives of songs like “Love Can Heal” and “Live and Let Live” are apparent right from their titles, with the latter in particular succumbing to cliché. And the more subdued “Dark Side” mixes only highlight those flaws. i/o is heartfelt and meticulously crafted, but its impact is muted by its splintered presentation.