The heavily teased i/o follows up Peter Gabriel’s last batch of new material in over 20 years. i/o is divided in half, with each of these songs receiving a “bright-side mix” and a “dark-side mix.” The two versions provide slightly different listening experiences, though nothing is completely changed between the two sides. The dark-side mix is produced with a bassier, heavier, and low-end sound, while the bright-side mix is a lighter and more spacious listen. The songs themselves are not dragged down or hindered by the mixes, rather the themes of nature and hopefulness, the rich instrumentation, and Gabriel’s singing heavily aid i/o.
Peter Gabriel utilizes natural imagery as well as conceptualized ideas of living, dying, and hope for the future on tracks like “Panopticom,” where Gabriel sings, “While we watch the world around us / We got witness on the ground / Taking in the evidence / And we reach across the globe / We got all the information flowing.” Or rather, on the piano ballad “Playing for Time:” “Any moment that we bring to life will never fade away / Oh, all the moments come and go / While the memories ebb and flow / And play again, play again.” The melodies and instrumental progression on this track, as well as “So Much,” carry it to a satisfying emotional climax. However, the other ballads on i/o, “And Still” and “Love Can Heal,” do not warrant their long run time, and feel much more drawn out.
Gabriel is at his best on “Four Kinds of Horses,” “ Olive Tree” and “This Is Home.” The former is incredibly atmospheric, with scattered keys and synths layered under Gabriel’s vocals. “Olive Tree” ties the themes and ideas across i/o back to nature, as Gabriel sings on the chorus, “I’ve got the sunlight warming up my back / Warming up all my bones / I’ve got the cool breeze right on my skin / Bringing every cell to life.” “This is Home” has some of the best melodies across i/o, and the recurring chord progression is incredibly catchy.
“Live and Let Live” differs the most between the bright-side and dark-side mixes. Both are very enjoyable, but the dark-side mix feels much more suffocated than the bright-side mix, especially in comparison to the rest of the tracks on i/o. It is an incredibly satisfying and hopeful send off for the album, as the melodies and string section carry a lot of the emotional load.
The weighty themes across i/o are carefully and wisely dealt with, as each track approaches topics of natural disaster, hope, and devastation with a unique conceptual lens. The instrumentation is not as adventurous as in Gabriel’s past work, but the simplicity in the arrangements allows for the melodies and lyrics to take center stage. i/o shows that even in the later stages of career, Gabriel is still pushing himself conceptually and artistically.
