THIS WEEK I’M LISTENING TO…THE PINEAPPLE THIEF – Far And Wide (InsideOut Music)THIS WEEK I’M LISTENING TO…THE PINEAPPLE THIEF – Far And Wide (InsideOut Music)

THE PINEAPPLE THIEF – Far And Wide (InsideOut Music)

Given the sheer scale of their musicianship, their ability to craft memorable songs and their longevity, it’s quite a surprise that The Pineapple Thief aren’t better known outside progressive circles. Originally formed by Bruce Soord in 1999 as a solo project the UK act – featuring Jon Sykes (bass), Steve Kitch (keyboards) and Gavin Harrison (drums) alongside vocalist and guitarist Soord – have maintained a consistent run of top-notch albums over the years. ‘Far And Wide’ is their 16th studio outing (on top of an array of live albums and DVDs, EPs and compilations) and follows hot on the heels of last year’s ‘Retracing Our Steps’ retrospective. This first album for new label InsideOut is, as you might expect, a worthy addition to their catalogue – face it, the band don’t release ‘that’ll do’ albums – and is a hauntingly low-key affair.

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photo by Martin Bostock

Songs like ‘Scattering Like Flies’ and ‘Through The Noise’ take top honours for creating an oppressive atmosphere, while the following cut ‘Who Wants It’ has a more off-kilter approach to match its overview of alienation and rejection. Meanwhile, opener ‘New World Order’ is a no-nonsense attention-grabber from the off. It’s a clever album – well, it’s a great album – from a band who, after coming on for 30 years, remain at the top of their game.

Video clips:
‘God Knows’ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kw5Fw-eS4qY
‘Hold The Ashes’ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkjXCyO0fi4
'New World Order’ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDhd4JUuK1U

John Tucker October 2026