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Portishead Third Album ReviewAfter Years Of Silence, Beth Gibbons Opens The Magic Door Once Again
Portishead prove that even after a ten year gap between albums, they haven't lost any of their bitterness.
It’s been 11 years since Portishead released their first two albums. Back then the world was a dark, strange place. On Third, Portishead prove that the clouds still haven’t lifted and their world remains a brooding place inhabited by haunting noises and film noir soundtracks. Radio doesn’t exist in this world, and the team of Geoff Barrow, Beth Gibbons and Adrian Utley who co-wrote all but two songs on the album, drift along on a plane of dreary aloofness sounding like no one else, sometimes not even sounding like themselves. Machine Gun Silence“Deep Water”, a melancholy acoustic tale of longing and self-doubt, strums along to the tune of a banjo and an elfish-sounding Gibbons, until a bluesy backing chorus, performed by The Somerfield Workers Choir, pipes in giving the song an even sadder resonance. The short track, only 1:30 of dreary bliss, jaggedly ends, replaced by a full on techno assault of “Machine Gun”. Lead single from Third, “Machine Gun”, proves that even Portishead can make a drum machine sound eerie and evasive. Where Dummy and Portishead provided the soundscape for dinner parties and late night tweak lounges, Third soundtracks the dismay and disorder seen nightly on the news. Harsh technology swallows Gibbons’ haunted-angel vocals then spits them out twisted and distorted. Most of the songs on the album deal with doom and gloom with no hope for a brighter future. “Small” channels the pain of losing a loved one due to foolish actions. “I try to understand, but you’re just a man open to see, blinded like me.” Moody and atmospheric, Portishead’s music continues to have a soundtrack feel to it, without the accompanying images. To say that the band has remained in a self-created rut would be an injustice. Classic Portishead elements remain intact, however, the band has evolved its sound. “Magic Door” sounds more retro rock than electronic. Deep drums, loud keyboards and the brooding voice of a scorned Gibbons singing “I can’t divide my heart from me, I don’t know who I’m meant to be, I guess it’s just the person that I am”, sounds more contemporary than anything the band has ever produced. The Rip of Plastic ThreadsThe whole album, from opening track “Silence” to closer “Threads” sounds like it has swallowed a bottle of downers. Filled with themes of longing, searching, a desire to be someone else - this album covers the gamut of trouble, unfulfilled relationships, dreams and desires. “Whenever I take a choice it turns away”, Gibbons moans in “Threads”. This introspective disc sounds perfect on a rainy Saturday night, alone with a bottle of wine and a broken heart. Stand out tracks include “Hunter” a track sinking knee deep in bitter emotions, self wondering and a longing for recognition. “The Rip”, a somber introspective track, echoes the acoustic guitar electro that Goldfrapp has recently adopted. “Plastic” sounds the most like Portishead of old with its stylish sixties film noir sound. Though the wait was long, Third more than makes up for the 11 year gap between albums. Portishead has emerged free of its trip hop label and instead concentrates on music that defies definition. For those who like music that’s arty, contemplative and moody, Third fulfills every brooding desire.
The copyright of the article Portishead Third Album Review in Electronica (Music) is owned by James W. Coates. Permission to republish Portishead Third Album Review in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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