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"Of the New Day"
"Of the New Day"
Single by Porcupine Tree
from the album Closure/Continuation
Released	8 March 2022
Recorded	2011–September 2021
Length	4:43
Label	Music for Nations
Songwriter(s)	Steven Wilson
Producer(s)	Wilson; Richard Barbieri; Gavin Harrison;
Porcupine Tree singles chronology

"Of the New Day" is a song by British progressive rock band Porcupine Tree, released on 8 March 2022 as the second single in promotion of the band's eleventh studio album Closure/Continuation. The track was released alongside a music video.^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]

Background and composition

According to front-man Steven Wilson, "Of the New Day is a song of rebirth, emerging from the darkness", further elaborating by stating how It sounds deceptively simple, a recognisably atypical Porcupine Tree ballad. That is until you realise that the length of the bars is constantly changing, flipping between bars of regular ⁴
₄ time to ³
₄, to ⁵
₄ to ⁶
₄, ¹¹
₄, so that the track never settles into any steady time."^[5]^[1]

Wilson also noted how the track is something the band could do very well, stating how the band could come up with "a basic idea that’s almost intellectual or mathematical".^[5]^[6]

Reception

In a review of Closure/Continuation, David Rodriguez of Everything is Noise enjoyed the track, calling it a calm, ballad-esque track. They had also noted the gimmick of constantly changing time signatures, saying it's fitting given the topic of change, evolution, and rebirth.^[7] Another review of the record by Thom Jurek of AllMusic enjoyed the track, stating that the track asserted itself as a "spacious ballad" that spirals into "angular prog", "blurring time signatures", and harmonics before "returning to the lithe, keyboard-centric melody".^[8]

Emma Johnston of Classic Rock described the track as a "psychedelic swirl" that gives way to the next track, "Rat's Return".^[9] Another positive review of the track by Steview Chuck of The Guardian noted that "despite the budding sophistication of his solo work, the Wilson of Porcupine Tree remains a better musician than lyricist, but there’s a sense of chiaroscuro at play within the sensitive chord changes of Of the New Day that assures us he is no mere technical genius, and that a heart beats beneath Closure/Continuation’s flash and flair."^[10]

Brad Sanders of Pitchfork described the track as a strangely paranoid sounding ballad in a similar-vein to earlier tracks such as "Lazarus" and "My Ashes".^[11] Brice Ezell of PopMatters praised the track. They called the track a gorgeous tune that justifies the band's reunion on its own, also interpreting the track's lyrics as about the "now tenuous time for Porcupine Tree".^[12]

Personnel

Personnel per album liner notes^[13] Porcupine Tree

Steven Wilson – vocals, guitars, bass, piano, mixing, design concept, production
Richard Barbieri – keyboards, synthesisers, production
Gavin Harrison – drums, percussion, drum mixing, production

Production

Ian Anderson of The Designers Republic – art direction, image editor, photography, graphic design, creative director
Paul Stacey – additional guitar recording
Ed Scull – additional guitar recording engineering
Penny Morgan, Peter Rudge, Pro Music Management – management