Third

(It’s growing lwk…)

Yeah…hot take ik…

Oh well, I'm only human.

Okay originally, instead of LCD Soundsystem's "This Is Happening", the 400th special review was meant to be Portishead's comeback album "Third". I decided to try it out for my special when @dac reminded me about it since they kept recommending it to me and I thought "dac you're a genius let's do it" and plus I wanted to listen to this at some point alongside all of Portishead's other albums.

Yeah um…I'm sorry I didn't really like this much at all if I'm being completely honest here. It was like 2am when I first heard it so maybe I was tired. So the day after I listened to it again alongside LCD Soundystsem's "This Is Happening" to see if this’ll grow on me from last night and yeah…it still remained the same and now I'm on my third listen and I think I should just come to accept that I don't personally like this record as much as others do.

Definitely way out of my comfort zone and a lot more experimental than what I was used to. Having these hauntingly performed vocals by none other than Beth Gibbons, these often times glitchy and weirdly structured beats, heavy industrial synths and distorted guitars every now and then. It wasn't like much I heard and definitely a stand out but one I wasn't used to.

I tried to be as open-minded about this record as possible but I don't know I just can't personally bring myself to enjoy this as much as others do. I appreciate what they were going for but I don't know i'm too big on this kind of new sound they've done. It just sounds a bit too off and unusual for me personally.

Musically, this is very different from their previous records. This isn't primarily a Trip Hop album like their previous records but more so Experimental Rock with some kind of Trip Hop elements as well as Industrial, Krautrock, Post-Rock and some IDM(?) and EBM too and it does seem quite up my alley but it wasn't what I was expecting. It's dark, barren, anxious and dry and to me personally it just doesn't have too much going on and I kind of wished it had more substance to it. I don't know the execution and structuring of the instrumentals is a bit too unusual and out-there for me personally.

Production-wise, it is quite impressive. Having this dark, murky and sort of lo-fi sound reminiscent of their older works which makes it seem like the uncanny valley in music form. It's Portishead alright but not the Portishead you're used to. The structuring and execution though I am not the most fond of. Sometimes it's glitching or played strangely like it's beginning but never goes anywhere and ends immediately as it begun. I personally don't really like it that much.

I have enjoyed some tracks off of this tho like the opener "Silence". I like the atmosphere and the Trip Hop beats are really nice and it has a cool rhythm to it. "We Carry On" is also pretty cool. Being a more Synth-Punk, Post-Rock and Post-Punk like track. It did start off weirdly with these weird thumping tribal drums which reminds me of some of Phil Evrum's work. It started off weird but ended off nicely but I do wish that really epic Punk-like segment lasted longer.
Obviously I have to give a shoutout to "The Rip" which is easily the best track off of this album and one I am sure to keep revisiting. It has this really beautiful yet deeply melancholic and bittersweet feel to it. At first I was pretty underwhelmed as I expected something more explosive and something more dynamic but as I listened to it more it grew on me. It's a product of portraying bittersweetness through simplicity and it does it well but god do I wish it was longer. It fades out almost immediately as that insanely good middle section comes in.

For now, I don't really get this album that much. Me personally, yeah I don't really like this as much as others do. Though tracks like "The Rip" is something I will keep going back to and hopefully enough for me to revisit this album sometime in the future.

But for now, I'm sorry I don’t get this. Sorry @dac. This review was pretty underwhelming huh…

Maybe this’ll get that Spiderland and Deathconsciousness treatment where I didn't like it at first and now have grown to really enjoy…

Who knows…