Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Christmas has come early for fans of overly complicated and intricate album releases. Peter Gabriel (“In Your Eyes”) released his first album of new songs since his album “Up” released back in 2002. The album, released on Dec. 1 is titled “I/O” but stylized as “i/o” on the album art and nothing surrounding this work is an accident. “I/O” stands for “input/output” and is also the name of one of Jupiter’s moons, a creative decision Gabriel discussed in the May 2023 issue of the British magazine Uncut.

The 12 songs released are split into two sides, an alternative “Dark-Side Mix” and a “Bright-Side Mix.” This is not because Gabriel is running out of ideas or under pressure to meet some kind of release quota by his label, Real World Records. If it was not obvious through each single being accompanied by an exquisite piece of cover art, Gabriel is an artist who appreciates the work done by other artists. This album is not just a monument to Gabriel’s long and glorious career as a musician, but in fact a sort of love letter to his mix technicians, Tchad Blake (Dark-Side mixes) and Mark ‘Spike’ Stent (Bright-Side mixes). 

According to an article by Martin Kielty on ultimateclassicrock.com detailing Gabriel’s plans for the album release, Gabriel simply couldn’t release one mix or the other.

“Rather than choosing only one of their mixes to release, I have decided that people should be able to hear all the great work that they are both doing,” Gabriel said.

Each song was released on its respective month’s full moon. Maybe Gabriel was trying to infuse the powers of the moon with his music. It definitely sounds that way, especially on “Road to Joy” which in both mixes maintains its synthy bounciness. The Dark-Side mixes all tend to strip away that layer of pop and sparkle so signature of Gabriel’s work, but that is not to say the tracks are completely diminished. If anything, they are more percussion-focused and give off a more primitive vibe than their Bright counterparts.

For some tracks the doom-and-gloom funk does not pan out as well, such as the title track. For a song that sings of being “part of everything,” the more bass-heavy version does not quite do its message the service it deserves. Even some of the Bright-Side tracks are weighty, with deep piano or weeping string sections. This is true of the melancholic song, “So Much” where Gabriel takes note of his long life at the age of 73. “Only so much can be done,” sings Gabriel, with talk of wrinkled hands and childlike wonder. A background chorus group makes it feel almost like a church hymn.

At times, some of the songs dare to lean back into Gabriel’s days with Genesis (“No Grey Areas”) and Phil Collins (“Other Sides”), because Gabriel’s voice is still so well intact. Some of “The Court” sounds this way, but Gabriel’s old style really shines through on the Bright-Side version of “Olive Tree.” It is a tough call to decide which song is the best, but “Olive Tree” pulls ahead because of its catchy rhythm so reminiscent of the Genesis days. 

The “I/O” album can best be described as dark, moody and always shifting between mournful and ecstatic. It is an album whose working parts are so visible through every beat and touch of the synth machine, though every track demands a different ear. Confusing in a dozen different ways for every moon it was born under, “I/O” is a worthwhile listen. 

Image from Peter Gabriel via petergabriel.com