The last time a full album review appeared here for Peter Gabriel with new material was in 2002. That long interval makes sense: it took more than twenty years for the artist to offer a successor to Up I, and I/O is finally among us. It presents a unmistakable Gabriel voice, built on his art-rock architecture, the creaking industrial textures, and orchestrated lyricism, all underscored by a philosophical thread about being human in dialogue with oneself and with humanity as a whole. An album that sounds at once intimate and expansive, tangible yet resistant to easy categorization. [Gabriel, 2024]
Memories in the cloud
This title signals a shift in focus from the physical to the digital, hinting at inputs and outputs, devices and data, and the way people continuously interact with a fabric larger than themselves. The opening track Panopticom plunges us into this reality, a warning about humanity’s capacity for self-destruction and the need to stay vigilant about changes in the natural environment. The song carries a heavy weight from the nineties era—thick texture, a distinctive chorus, and a crushing sonic presence. The instrumental core remains anchored by long-time collaborators David Rhodes, Tony Levin, and Manu Katché, with a reimagined Brian Eno contributing to the evolving soundscape. [Gabriel, 2024]
Across twelve tracks, released gradually since January, the collection now coalesces into a single, cohesive statement. When this project began, social networks and smartphones did not dictate the tempo of life as they do today, yet the album speaks directly to our time, raising persistent questions about memory, time, and meaning. There is a marked anxiety about how time is consumed and stored in mobile apps, layered with tribal rhythms that echo through the arrangements, as noted by critics. Memory’s nature suggests we live to make time, a sentiment embodied in the soaring track Playing for Time and its reflective mood. [Gabriel, 2024]
On I/O, Peter Gabriel threads the needle between transcendental speculation and the pull of a song that remains unmistakably pop in its accessibility. The 73-year-old artist opens doors to the future while wrapping melodies in meticulously crafted atmospheres, balancing a manageable melodic line with a vigorous rhythmic push. The track Road to Joy brings a funk pulse, standing out with Olive Tree as a nod to the vitality of late ’70s and early ’80s pop-rock, even as its current execution feels a touch unsettling. [Gabriel, 2024]
Deeper into the album, verses tackle heavy themes—the distorted use of religion, the fragility of the human condition, and the specter of death—yet they are juxtaposed with light-infused moments. Love Can Heal and Live anchor the journey with a foundation of San Jacinto-inspired synthesizers, while Keep Alive closes on a daring note: a bold invitation toward collective forgiveness meant to ease collective sorrows. The result is a mature, awakened work that remains stylistically independent of passing trends, a singular island within a wide ocean of earthly suffering. [Gabriel, 2024]
In this sense, I/O doesn’t chase novelty so much as it asserts continuity—the willingness to question, to reflect, and to improvise with sound. The album speaks to an audience that values depth and texture, offering a soundscape that rewards attentive listening and repeated discoveries. It is a statement rooted in a long arc of Gabriel’s career, yet it stands firmly in the present, inviting new listeners while honoring a storied past. The music’s quiet convictions resonate with listeners who appreciate how art can probe human experience without surrendering to mere trends. [Gabriel, 2024]