| Portishead - Portishead |
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| Music Disc Reviews Audio CD | |
| Written by Jason Karsh | |
| Tuesday, 30 September 1997 | |
Performance 8 Sound 8 Say what you want about rap and hip-hop but one thing is undeniable, they've influenced virtually every music genre out today. Hanson, a disgusting little pop band, has scratching in the background of a number one hit. Branford Marsalis, respected jazz will-be hall-of-famer, has formed Buckshot LeFonque, a group that fuses jazz and hip-hop. And what about trip-hop? It's a genre. Bands like Tricky, Massive Attack, and oh-by-the-way Portishead basically founded it. And whether you see Portishead's debut album 'Dummy' as a cornerstone in a musical genre or just the soundtrack to the heroin generation, you've got to respect what it did musically. It was amazing. This, of course, naturally lets me segue into my panning of their sophomore effort, the self-titled 'Portishead.' Unfortunately, I can't do that. What I can do is let you know that, as a club owner friend of mine said, "It's a Portishead album." And therein is the review. This album is no more, no less; it's just Portishead. The loops are still intact, the mystery still wrapped in cigarette smoke, and Beth still miserable. Who knows what she's really like, the band says their chanteuse is actually quite happy, but listening to her croon almost makes you want to offer a shoulder to cry on. Thankfully it still makes for great music and a feeling you can get without tapping into a vein. Like this article? Bookmark and share with any of the sites below.        |
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