Better than any album before it, Dummy merged the pinpoint-precise productions of the dance world with pop hallmarks like great songwriting and excellent vocal performances.
Dummy, an album which undoubtedly conjures the thought of a person, place or sour time for its every listener, sounds just as groundbreaking today as it did eight years ago.
Beth Gibbons’ disembodied vocals float over Geoff Barrow’s lush production to create a debut that is as musically compelling as it is emotionally chilly.
Assertive rhythms and quirky production ... save Portishead from languishing in any coy retro groove. Instead they manage yet another — very smart — rebirth of cool.