The Red and Black

Issue date: 4/17/08 Section: Out & About

PORTISHEAD

"Third"

The trip-hop pioneers unleash their first proper release since 1997. Considering its decade-long hiatus, Portishead hasn't changed that much - but in this case, that is a very good thing.

One thing is for certain: "Third" is a dark album. Portishead has created a gloomy, sonic underworld filled with ethereal sounds and textured beats. The production is detached yet enticing, and lead vocalist Beth Gibbons sounds - if possible - more haunting and emotional than she ever has before.

Opener "Silence" begins with an eerie, twisting chord progression set to a rollicking tempo. It ends appropriately enough, cutting to complete silence without any warning whatsoever.

The darkness continues on "Nylon Smile," which features one of Gibbons' most unsettling melodies. "We Carry On" sports a relentless industrial groove, while the skittering beat and droning synths of "Plastic" are nothing short of frightening.

Portishead delivers a few unexpected gems as well. "Hunter," one of the album's best songs, is a misty jazz piece that gets torn apart by rebellious, distorted guitar and manic synth melodies.

The gothic folk of "Deep Water" is brilliant, but it's a brief lull before the earth-shattering pulse of the ominous "Machine Gun" drops and leaves the listener breathless and begging for more.

Elsewhere, "The Rip" morphs from plaintive acoustic ballad into epic rocker, and "Magic Doors" incorporates off-kilter psychedelia complete with cowbell.

"Third" ultimately proves Portishead is still a creative force to be reckoned with after all these years. The band has thankfully retained all of its focus, its musical ability and, most importantly, its ambition.

VERDICT: Portishead's extended hiatus has worked wonders - this a breathtaking, haunting album with no missteps.

- John Barrett

TAPES 'N TAPES

"Walk It Off"

If Minneapolis band Tapes 'n Tapes' first album "The Loon" was more reminiscent of wood, warmth and tropicalia, the band's latest effort, "Walk It Off," is along the lines of metallic robots, mishaps and utter confusion. It's a big risk to throw such a sharp curve on only a sophomore effort, and the quartet does not make the transition with a high level of grace as they defer the depth of sound to producer Dave Fridmann - best known as the brains behind the super sonic stardom of The Flaming Lips and MGMT.

Lead singer Josh Grier still sounds similar to Modest Mouse leading man Isaac Brock, but through the heavily fuzzed monotony and carefully scheduled-meets-schizophrenic syncopation from song to song, his pipes are barely permissible and incredibly hard to hear. Bass lines bounce and billow whenever Fridmann's futuristic embellishments don't sound them out, and his strengths as a producer tend to shine through the dreamy, creepy keyboards heard on "George Michael" or the "Vein of Stars"-reminiscent song "Anvil." There's a somewhat charming Buddy Holly cha-cha and synthesized chorus on "Conquest" and in another odd conundrum, the album's first single, "Walk It Off," comes almost straight from the contemporary catalog of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

With only minute memorable moments to spare, the album is better as background noise upon an initial series of spins and unfortunately, that's all Tapes 'N Tapes will be able to deliver unless it finds a way to break through the fuzz. All of this album's flaws can be found in the driving drone on last track, "The Dirty Dirty." It's unsatisfying, unintelligible and repetitive, showcasing a total lack of direction that's only somewhat redeemed by the impassioned intent to rock really hard.

Verdict: Third one will have to be a charm or else T'nT will be forced to "walk" the plank.

- Sami Promisloff

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