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Reviews of: Thirdby Portishead
Product Description Portishead's Third has been a long time coming, the result of a lengthy creative topor following 1997's dark, distinctly underrated album Portishead. Importantly, though, they've shaken it. While the core trio of Beth Gibbons, Geoff Barrow, and Adrian Utley remains, this is quite a different band to Portishead's 90s incarnation: gone is the slo-mo turntable scratching and smoky jazz feel, replaced by heavy, brooding rhythms, vintage-sounding electronics, and spindly guitar. Still present, though, is that sense of emotional fracture and deep gloom. "Silence" opens with a dense drum loop which suddenly falls away to reveal Gibbons' voice, cold but magnificent: "Wounded and afraid, inside my head/Falling through changes". "Nylon Smile", meanwhile, is a fine example of Third's occasional folksy edge, an acoustic song reminiscent of Leonard Cohen that, around its midpoint, lifts off on a propulsive electronic rhythm, Gibbons holding one clear, hard note as synthesisers bubble beneath. At times, it's a harsh and foreboding listen: the electronic drums of "Machine Gun" might put off the listener hoping for smooth dinner party fare. But Third is a brave and forward-thinking return, and one great enough to justify its lengthy gestation. --Louis Pattison Reviews Sadly, this will collect dust at the back of my cupboard... I like to think I have a pretty varied taste in music and have enjoyed previous albums from Portishead and Beth Gibbons/ Rustin Man but I'm afraid I really don't get this at all. This album has been compared as a frontrunner to album of 2008 but to me that sounds like making something trendy to be able to say you like something trendy. If I'm being generous, I would maybe rate one or possibly two tracks, i.e. The Rip, as 2/3 out of 5 but for the rest...1 is on the kind side. A previous reviewer has compared this to Marmite, which is apt. I don't like that either but I think I stand more chance of persuading myself to like that than this. I honestly can't see myself ever listening to this again so its either down to Oxfam or leave it in the back of the cupboard until I move house. 2008-12-31 Prog-dub Snapshots of the Apocalypse A soundtrack to some post-apocalypic world movie. This is a wonderful album - to sit back and listen to and also to dance round the campfire! There's elements of prog-rock but tastefully done in the dub style. One weird thing about the songs though is that they seem to be amateaurishly put togeather and end too soon, but this is one of the spells that the landscape creeated by this music invites. Worth every penny!!! 2008-12-30 It is good Reading the one star reviews, two things struck me: 1. Lots of them have listened to the album once (some not even once all the way through). Like all the great albums, this is a grower. 2. Why do they want more of the same? Frankly, 'Portishead' was an insipid rehash of 'Dummy'. 'Third' is a massive leap forward. Album of the year. 2008-12-16 My favourite album of 2008. Since it is now December, it seems unlikely that anything else will be released before the end of the year that will top this. While this record doesn't bare that much resemblance to the first two Portishead albums, replacing the influence of Isaac Hayes,Lalo Schifrin et al with the drone metal of bands like Sunn o))) and the massively ahead of their time Silver Apples. The track with the most obvious Silver Apples influence,and my absolute favourite,is We Carry On. It starts like Silver Apples' song Oscillations,except with lyrics that recall Dead Souls by Joy Division (with the inclusion of 2 guitar breaks to match). Other highlights include the near-industrial Machine Gun, the surprisingly Ink Spots-like Deep Water, and the beautiful The Rip,which fans of Beth Gibbons' collaboration with Rustin Man Out of Season will love.Overall an amazing album that stands with the highlights of the decade so far: White Chalk, Ys, A Ghost Is Born, Burial, etc. 2008-12-09 What a comeback Much of the time bands who have gone into hibernation return with albums which are mere shadows of their previous work. This album is the complete opposite and successfully captures the eerie tones which occupy many of their best songs. I simply cannot pick a favourite from an album which oozes style. 2008-11-21 |
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