I have always been a big Portishead fan. As a band, they always seemed to care more about making music than selling albums, and it was satisfying to see such an attitude be rewarded with success. It has been 11 years since their last studio album dropped, and I am both relieved and excited to report that Third does not disappoint.
When I first starting looking into this album, I was a little worried about what a decade long break could do to a band. I was worried further by the fact that, alongside their long standing “Trip-Hop” branding, they were taking steps toward other genres like “Experimental” and “Art Rock”. Usually when someone adds the title “art” to something that is already art, and then supplements that by telling you that it’s “experimental”, they are setting you up. They are about to show you something terrible, and then belittle you for “not understanding” it. When applied to music, this also frequently means that every song you hear is going to sound like one long intro and never really get started.
Third, however, delivers a very artistic sound, using some experimental methods of writing and composition, without feeling pretentious. It is definitely a departure of sorts from Portishead’s prior albums, but it falls right in line with their “making music because we enjoy making music” method. I don’t feel like I’m listening to someone trying to be different. I feel like I’m listening to a band who really isn’t concerned about whether or not their music is going to get played on the radio. A lot of the songs almost feel… stripped down. Like seeing a beautiful girl without makeup on for the first time; it’s a completely different kind of beauty; more raw. “We Carry On” and “Machine Gun” give me this awkward feeling that there is something missing, but I couldn’t come up with something useful to add with a gun to my head.
I did get the “this song isn’t really starting” feeling a couple of times, but it was fleeting. On my second listen-thru of the album, I found myself getting so lost in Beth Gibbon’s haunting voice and lyrics, and the interesting things being done musically by Geoff Barrow and Adrian Utley, that the songs seemed to bend and flow through each other, creating some sort of musical experience. The music sometimes seems to consciously predict what you expect to happen, and then do something completely different. The end of the first track, “Silence”, comes to mind, along with the odd drum cuts in “Plastic”.
Alright, I’m starting to sound a bit like one of those beret wearing artsy fartsy types, and no one wants that. Suffice to say, this is a great album. Its simplistic departure from Portishead’s previous Trip-Hop sound sets it apart without disconnecting it from the bands roots. Although I wouldn’t be surprised if someone told me they “didn’t get it”, I think all Portishead fans will be pleased (and seemingly, already are. Third has gotten rave reviews, hit number 2 on the UK charts, and 7 on the U.S. Billboard 200). I don’t know if I’d jump on the “It’s their greatest album ever” bandwagon (I love “Dummy” too much) but Third is definitely worth picking up.
