Peter Gabriel’s I/O: The Core Thesis of Gabriel’s Existential Masterpiece

To call Peter Gabriel’s new concept album I/O a “record” is so far below its artistic genius it is both laughable and insulting. I/O is two albums, three if you get the deluxe edition, of pure refined and distilled Gabriel with some of his best writing and the perfect balance between existential prog expanse and razor sharp pop hooks. For me, this is easily his best recording and an artistic masterpiece, which is a frontrunner for #1 on the 2024 top 50. The title track encapsulates everything that makes this work so thought provoking and ground breaking.

Much like the rest of I/O the themes behind the title track are both epic in scale and high concept. The title track I/O, or ‘input and output’, is about the interconnected nature of humans with everything from nature, to the universe, to technology. In a sense, nothing is linear, but everything is connected. There is no beginning or end, but input and output within an overarching metaphysical plane of existence. If this sounds to you as high concept and the height of prog conceptualism, you’d be right. However, this PhD level theory of spirituality and existence is wrapped within sharp pop hooks that hit your soul like a truck.

Where the track I/O excels and catapults itself to the top of the upcoming best 50 of 2024 list is how Gabriel takes this dense material and conveys it with such pop excellence. The track’s pace is amazing with wonderful instrumentation, soaring vocals, a chorus that will play in your head for years on end, and perfect verse / chorus structure. The track builds to a central hook that is on the level of Sledgehammer and showcases Gabriel’s innate pop sensibility. You become connected to the track as you sing along, while also the larger spiritual message of interconnectedness brings you to this higher plane of understanding.

The brilliance of this track is how Gabriel can convey such a dense and complex message so succinctly within a widely accessible track. You can take this track a number of ways. You can just have fun and enjoy it as a positive and uplifting pop track full of energy, or you can listen to it multiple times unpacking the subtle nuances in the writing. The ability to produce something that works on so many levels not only shows that Gabriel still has it, but he is operating at a level of a master artist.

Listen to I/O