on third, portishead distance themselves from their previous material while still maintaining the harrowing and dark qualities to their music that defined their early work. eleven years have past since their last full-length, so a change was certainly in order. that change is immediately noticeable upon hearing third since the main difference between this album and it’s progenitors is the absence of samples. aside from the album’s introduction, which is a clip of someone speaking in portuguese, they use no samples at all. this absence has a profound effect on the atmosphere of the record, creating a bleak and minimal soundscape; one that is as unsettling as the subject matter of each song. beth gibbon’s voice, which anchors the album, has the range and power to oscillate between utter helplessness and determination. her delivery, coupled with the frenetic “we carry on,” the staccato-drum-propelled “machine gun” (reminicient of “blue monday”), and the cacophonous “threads” makes third an intense and equally subversive addition to portishead’s catalogue.
Filed under: Album Review , 2008, portishead, third
outstanding!