Sign In to rate and review
CRITIC REVIEWS
100
This sophomore spook-athon from chilly U.K. combo Portishead clanks across the attic, via Geoff Barrow’s skeletal samples and funereal keyboards. Beth Gibbons’ surgical-steel voice on Portishead slices into her partner’s scraps of musical meat, for an effect that’s hypnotic, bloodless, and addictive.
90
An album that reveals more with each listen and becomes more captivating and haunting each time it's played.
11y
90
Portishead has turned despair's dead-end into a highway of possibilities.
90
While other so-called trip-hop acts moved in a more accessible, trip-pop direction in the late 1990s, Portishead became stiffer, sinking more deeply into manic melodrama and the dingy recesses of the macabre. In a sense, a third studio album is essential to validate Portishead‘s glorious Middle Child Syndrome.
82
Portishead comes very close to matching the twisting, dark road spirals of Dummy after it's sunk itself into your skull, and has permanently engraved itself in that giant slab of cold concrete that is the history of your life.
80
Fundamentally it does all sound the same and, in true goth fashion, cheerily runs the full gamut of emotion from misery to unhappiness.
60
The entire record is an exercise in barren claustrophobia, as if Portishead had spent the past three years burrowing deeper and deeper into a self-obsessed, self-contained world. At this point, we can only hope — for their sake and for the listeners' — that they come up for air soon.
i immediately felt how influential Portishead’s self-titled sophomore effort would be for my life.
"only you", for example, presents a rush, a calm, an inhale, a pharcyde smooth piano solo, and
beth gibbons’ knarled voice rattling in with spy film horror and swagger. this all brings the listener to the present moment.
in many regards 'portishead' is better than its predecessor. 'portishead' is more refined and the skills are more advanced. i can’t even describe ... read more
Well, this is dark!
Portishead's self-titled 2nd album released in September 1997 on Go! Discs records.
It was recorded throughout 1996-97 across 3 different studios based in the UK: Ridge Farm, State of Art & Moles.
The group decided to create original pieces that they weaved into each track, in contrast to Dummy being defined by sampling other records.
I loved Portishead's previous album Dummy, describing it back in November as "to be experienced in a certain environment & ... read more
This is Dummy's evil cousin. Dummy was all about funky alien/monster grooves, while this one is like taking a walk through a haunted forest filled with finger vines and skeletons. Something oddly soothing in this very threatening environment. Maybe it's the Ketamine.
portishead go for a much darker approach than their previous record ‘dummy’ with much crazier, aggressive and experimental vocals. this album creates a haunting atmosphere and executes it perfectly.
Portishead delves deeper into their unique sound and Beth Gibbons pushes her vocals to their witchiest. And honestly that is for the better. "Portishead" feels even more twisted and even more ambitious than "Dummy" but unfortunately, in so doing, Portishead lose what made their debut so comforting. Their songs seem to have lost a moving bittersweetness that was so special about it. Overall however, I think this album really does stand up to "Dummy"
Favourite ... read more
Become a Donor
Donor badge, no ads + more benefits.
Donor badge, no ads + more benefits.
Advertisement
Track List
| 1 | Cowboys 4:39 | 91 |
| 2 | All Mine 4:00 | 92 |
| 3 | Undenied 4:20 | 86 |
| 4 | Half Day Closing 3:47 | 88 |
| 5 | Over 3:55 | 88 |
| 6 | Humming 6:02 | 90 |
| 7 | Mourning Air 4:12 | 87 |
| 8 | Seven Months 4:16 | 85 |
| 9 | Only You 4:59 | 87 |
| 10 | Elysium 5:54 | 83 |
| 11 | Western Eyes 3:59 | 88 |
Total Length: 50 minutes
Year End Lists
| #6 | / | SPIN |
| #17 | / | Consequence of Sound |
Sign in to comment
Advertisement