Portishead 3 (Third)

[markl]

I really love this band. Saw them twice live in their heyday. Surprisingly good live band; you wouldn't think they could easily reproduce this stuff live, but they did. They had a great drummer at this time, too. They created this ominous, hovering, evil racket that was other-worldly. Beth Gibbons was extremely hot then, too.

A very reluctant chanteuse, extremely fragile and shy, she almost imploded before your very eyes. She always seemed amazed when the audience applauded her, very sweet. I was at the show in SF that was recorded (in part) for their live album.

3 (Third) is a (minor) disappointment to me, the kind of disappointment you get when a truly great band merely makes a very good or difficult record instead of an outstanding one that grabs you right away (especially given how long we've waited for this one). I've listened to it 4 times now; it still sounds like Portishead, but all the songs are somewhat same-y to me. It seems to be missing something (excitement, movement, action, thrills).

It's all a bit too low-key and somber (even for Portishead). It's like they looked back at the first two albums and mercilessly decided to strip out all the "pop" elements that lightened up or enlivened the basic sound. On the one hand, it's admirable for a band like this to go and do the opposite of what many other lesser bands would be tempted to do at this point in their careers-- try and create a pure pop album that could be cut up and pasted into cell-phone ads and such. They went the other way, and decided to make the "diffiicult" third album. Good for them. For us...

This is an oppressive, smothering album. It's almost relentlessly single-minded. Like other Portishead albums, it successfully envelops you in its own world of sound that is totally unique and unmistakeably Portishead. However, unlike the previous 2 albums, this one sounds kind of tired and defeated; like an astronaut floating away helplessly into deep dark space.

It's a lot to absorb, and its the kind of hard slab of an album that you will keep coming back to, trying to find a way in. It's like a mountain with a sheer cliff face and very few hand-holds for you to grasp on to and climb up. It's tough going but rewarding.

This record was always going to be a troubled one, given the nature of band relations, the length of time between releases, and the degree to which the musical landscape has shifted since they were last active. It's easy to play Monday morning quarterback; and if I was producer of this record, I would have wanted a few more pure, clear moments, and some more obvious songs structred like real songs. But they were in charge of this album, and what we got instead was 3 (Third).

Ominous and uncompromised. A bit alienated even from itself, but still functional in a wobbly two-legged stool kinda way.

 

[en480c4]

I couldn't disagree more. I would've been far more disappointed with a sequel to either of the first two albums.
Comparing Portishead to Dummy, you can see they were going for a darker and bleaker sound. Third is, to my ears, the next natural step, and while it's more adventurous with sounds and instrumentation, the only major change was abandoning the turntables. I often forget how dramatic the difference in tone between the first two albums is as I tend to listen to PNYC a lot. But back-to-back the difference is clear. Third has just gone a step or two further.
Is it as immediately accessible as the first two albums? No. But outside of the abrasive "Machine Gun" there's nothing particularly challenging about it (to me), and there are moments scattered throughout that are reminiscent of both Dummy and Portishead. And the closer "Threads" is very Portishead its entirety. That's not to say I don't understand why people don't like it. But I just don't see this as having come from out of nowhere.
My initial impressions (3-4 listens) after it leaked...
Quote:

I'm not sure I can put into words how impressed I am with this album. I still remember when I first heard Dummy, and buying it and their follow-up, Portishead. To this day I'm still blown away every time I listen to or throw in the DVD of PNYC. But after 11 years, I had no idea what to expect. Was it going to be something like their first album, the slightly darker second album or something all together different. And to be honest, I didn't know what I wanted. Because I loved the first to albums so much, I was a little worried that the album might not live up to expectations. I'm happy to say that they have definitely created an album that finds that balance of feeling new and fresh while still sounding like Portishead. It's definitely a dark album, though that's to be expected. But it's also more advernturous with structure and the sounds they use. I can't wait for the official release in a few weeks.

I'm guessing this was the direction they've been working towards all along, and if they had recorded another album or two between Portishead and Third, the progression may have been more gradual. But all things considered, it strikes me as in character.
And for the record, the official album title is Third.

 

[markl]

Hi en480c4,

Quote:

while it's more adventurous with sounds and instrumentation

I don't find it "more adventurous", and for me, that's the issue. IMO, a more accurate desciption is "stripped-down". There's less "there" there on 3 (Third).

Quote:

But I just don't see this as having come from out of nowhere.

Like I said, to me, this still sounds exactly like a Portishead album, it didn't come out of nowhere. For me, the issue is that it is just too focused and too single-minded. It maps out its territory early on and then doesn't go anywhere else for the duration of the album.

 

[virometal]

There doesn't seem to be be much middle opinion over the album. I loved it; best 08 album I've heard though Clark's Turning Dragon or Brinkmann's When Horse's Die would give it a run for the money.

Anyway, my dribble and some other impressions can be found in the first thread. I look forward to reading the takes in this one.

 

[en480c4]

Quote:

Originally Posted by markl /img/forum/go_quote.gif I don't find it "more adventurous", and for me, that's the issue. IMO, a more accurate desciption is "stripped-down". There's less "there" there on 3 (Third).

The only thing lacking is the turntable. There's still some strings, lots of guitar, and mixed in are a lot of electronic textures, different percussion. It's not as "full" a sound, but there's definitely more going on. I think the thick, full bass and lush strings in the first two albums gives it the illusion of more going on than there actually is. Not to overly simplify, but the first two discs are variations of drums, lots of bass, guitar, string and/or horns, scratched samples and vocals. There's a lot more than that going on with Third.


Quote:

Originally Posted by markl /img/forum/go_quote.gif Like I said, to me, this still sounds exactly like a Portishead album, it didn't come out of nowhere. For me, the issue is that it is just too focused and too single-minded. It maps out its territory early on and then doesn't go anywhere else for the duration of the album.

Well, maybe I did a bad job of explaining myself. But regardless, what I'm hearing is more variation within songs, and no two songs sound the same. The songs seem all over the place to me, and if anything, less focused. They don't seem to be going for a "sound", like they did on the first two. There's a consistency to the first two albums, where you know immediately where each song came from. Third sounds much more eclectic and varied to my ears.

 

[poo]

It's grown on me over time... I've managed (I think) not to over-listen to it, and listen to it when I felt like it (rather than whenever I want to listen to music - since it's one of a few new albums I've been waiting for).

I've found recently that I just like it for what it is. Regardless of the long winded spiel I could present, and all the analytical praise/scorn it has received - it's just an album.

I like it.

 

[leng jai]

It is just me, or does the recording quality of Portishead albums sound like ass?

 

[Ttvetjanu]

I find it to be beautiful and unusual, in a good way. I think this is their best album so far (and also the best album of 08).

 

[iamoneagain]

Quote:

Originally Posted by leng jai /img/forum/go_quote.gif It is just me, or does the recording quality of Portishead albums sound like ass?

For some reason, I think the bad recording quality adds to the stripped down sound they now have. There is some distortion that shouldn't be there and the drums and bass seem a bit muffled at times. To me, this just gives a more raw and unprocessed sound. Sounds like I hearing them in a really small club.

What I really like about the new album is it now sounds like a band playing live than a studio album. The drums are more organic. They still have a similar sound overall but the processed trip-hop sound has been removed. It now has more of an early 80's gothic sound.

 

[Bryan T]

I like the new album a lot. I picked it up last week and have listened to it a half dozen times.

I read a few interviews with them about the recording of the album, which I think gave some insights into what they were going for. The acoustic drums were recorded very simply and are designed to sound like drums in a room (a pretty foreign concept for most modern albums). There are a lot of old synths. They claim that everything was run through an old analog delay device for color.

I do hear the album as being stripped down. There aren't dozens of layers on each track. Instead, they seem to have tried to find sounds that can stand on there own. For example, listen to "Machine Gun" and try to pick out how many different things you hear at any one time. Not many. One comment in an interview I read was that they spent a lot of time creating sounds that eventually didn't even make it to the album. I like the edited version of Portishead.

Bryan

 

[Kilane]

I've not got a chance to spin the whole album, but I've liked what
I have heard.

To be honest, I try not to think in terms of expectations, the high point of Portishead was Glorybox on Dummy; Beth Gibbons asking me (well, probably not ME

) to give her a reason to be a woman. It's really all downhill from there.

 

[HiGHFLYiN9]

Quote:

Originally Posted by leng jai /img/forum/go_quote.gif It is just me, or does the recording quality of Portishead albums sound like ass?

You're absolutely right, there is additional distortion present that sounds like poor recording more than anything else. Even though I don't care for it, I think it has always been a conscious decision by the band. I feel that distortion can be a great thing if handled correctly (ie: the genre Shoegaze) but in some cases it just comes out like a mistake more than anything.

Despite enjoying Portishead's previous albums, Third is still very good but in a different way. I suppose after such a long hiatus, it's not surprising that the band would be releasing music that sounds a few steps different than it's previous endeavors. I find that there is a lot to like in the more solemn and minimal presentation, although if I was forced to choose, the old school sound wins by a slight margin imho. The unique mix of slow, poppish but dark sound was a rare treat in music, and still is, despite the current brevity of independent bands.

 

[jilgiljongiljing]

I have heard it a few times over, and I still don't get it...I am now at a stage where I don't actually think about going back and listening to it again, cos it has left no lasting impression as of yet.

Oh well...

 

[Davey]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jilgiljongiljing /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have heard it a few times over, and I still don't get it...I am now at a stage where I don't actually think about going back and listening to it again, cos it has left no lasting impression as of yet. Oh well...

Really? To me it was a very striking record from the start, something hard to ignore. Admittedly, I didn't quite get it either at first, though I'm not sure what that means, but it drew me back again and again. Somewhat like Beth's solo record, but much more unique and worldly. That atmosphere is rare in modern music. Still not completely sure how I feel about it, but I do get the feel it is something special and will stay with me for a long while. Can't think of anything it sounds like, can't decide if it's anchored in the past or future. Seems mastered pretty nice for a new CD too.

 

[omegaman]

Just ordered this so I can decide for myself. Loved "Dummy" and don't why I didn't get this sooner. Anyway a few more days and I can decide for myself.

50 / 50 Love hate, according to the posts so far.