From the befuddled student-rock pomp of his Genesis period to later blue-eyed soul and world-music shamanism, Peter Gabriel is surely one of our most singular cultural treasures. This long-gestated 12-track LP is finally released after a year of heavy international touring for Gabriel in which he released a new song on the occasion of every full moon. Like a Buddhist werewolf, he always brings spiritual connection to his drooling afflictions. 

Things don’t get off to a great start: ‘Panopticom’ is pure cod King Crimson mired in countryside mud but without the prog muscle to pull itself out. Things begin to come alive with the urgent pop of ‘The Court’, a mild satire of modern mores. ‘Playing For Time’ perfectly showcases his more Randy Newman-ish tendencies towards a heartbreaking vignette. Early easy Cat Stevens gets strangled by synth on title track ‘i/o’ while ‘Four Kinds Of Horses’ and ‘Road To Joy’ are classic Gabriel, all kinetic soul and pop. ‘So Much’ is an odd but pleasing folk lament while ‘And Still’, ‘Olive Tree’ and ‘Love Can Heal’ play like off-cuts from his remarkable 1989 offering Passion. The less said about ‘This Is Home’ the better, while closer ‘Live And Let Live’ is a trite affair that only a performer with a previous messiah complex would even attempt. 

Despite its failings, i/o is beautifully produced with a stunning cast of contributors, including Soweto Gospel Choir, Swedish all-male choir Oprhei Drängar, New Blood Orchestra, and Ríoghnach Connolly of The Breath. It also comes in an impressive variety of formats and in two stereo mixes marshalled by on-point mixers and ‘re-shapers’ Mark ‘Spike’ Stent and Tchad Blake. Gabriel also commissioned wider artistic contributions to sit alongside this music from, among others, Ai Weiwei, Nick Cave and Olafur Eliasson. This is a hefty release for fans and completists alike.

Peter Gabriel: i/o is out now released by Real World.