Portishead

Third

Portishead haven't released any studio material for over a decade. That alone sets the bar very high, the fact that both their previous full length-studio releases are among the best albums of the 1990's means that it would be very difficult for Portishead to create something which, for me, lives up to the quality and legend their previous releases.

After listening to Third lots I'm still not sure whether or not they've achieved that almost unattainable goal but that doesn't seem to matter any more. Beth Gibbons, Adrian Utley and Geoff Barrow have branched out drastically from their previous trip-hop orientated sound into much edgier territory. Tracks such as We Carry On and Machine Gun bear surprising similarities to The Fragile-era Nine Inch Nails songs, with eerie but minimal tracking, droning bass lines, dissonant guitar and a prevailing sense of suspense, whereas The Rip and Deep Water expose a more folk orientated, guitar-centric side to Portishead that I wasn't aware even existed. Plastic sounds like it could have been taken straight from the sessions for 1997's self-titled album and is seamlessly executed. Not one element of the sound on the album feels at all out of place, everything blends perfectly into the lo-fi production of the album.

Portishead have managed to mature significantly during their almost decade long hiatus and have created an album that seems a natural development from Dummy and Portishead. Despite the departure from their previous sound, it is unmistakably Portishead and for that I am glad. [8]