12 tracks of grace, gravity and great beauty that provide welcome confirmation of not only Peter\u2019s ongoing ability to write stop-you-in-your-tracks songs but also of that thrilling voice, still perfectly, delightfully intact. Throughout the album the intelligent and thoughtful \u2013 often thought-provoking \u2013 songs tackle life and the universe. Our connection to the world around us \u2013 \u2018I\u2019m just a part of everything\u2019 Peter sings on title track i\/o \u2013 is a recurring motif, but so too the passing of time, mortality and grief, alongside such themes as injustice, surveillance and the roots of terrorism. But this is not a solemn record. While reflective, the mood is never despondent; i\/o is musically adventurous, often joyous and ultimately full of hope, topped off as it is, by the rousingly optimistic closing song, Live and Let Live. Continuing the idea developed for Peter\u2019s US and UP albums, he has again invited a range of visual artists to contribute a piece of art to accompany the music and each of i\/o\u2019s 12 songs were handed to a world-renowned artist to create an accompanying work, whether paint, photography, sculpture or even Plasticine. The dozen artists make an exceedingly impressive team of collaborators: Ai Weiwei, Nick Cave, Olafur Eliasson, Henry Hudson, Annette Messager, Antony Micallef, David Moreno, Cornelia Parker, Megan Rooney, Tim Shaw, David Spriggs and Barth\u00e9l\u00e9my Toguo. Another visual link with Peter\u2019s past work is the cover shot. Taken by photographer Nadav Kander, it echoes with the covers of his earlier albums, always present but, with the exception of So, intriguingly obscured or manipulated. These echoes of the past might resonate, but i\/o is fundamentally an album of \u2013 and for \u2013 the here and now.<\/p>\n