Portishead - Third (Album)
Silence begins. A sample in Portuguese, then Hi-Hat pumping, then the bass line and rhythm begins...
Esteja alerta para as regras dos 3
O que você dá, retornará para você
Essa lição você tem que aprender
Você só ganha o que você merece
(Translation)
Beware of the rule of 3
what you give, will get back at you
this lesson you must learn
you only get what you deserve
There is a deafening, jarring silence as the opening track ends two beats into its wonderful hypnotic rhythm. A rhythm that is a perfectly flowing progression of bars in 8, 6,6,10. The silence is so loud that for a split second I still think something is wrong. That someone turned the power off.
It seemed as though that was the case with Portishead themselves over the last 10 years. Were they going to ever make that promised 'dark' album?
I feel that FINALLY, Portishead have given what they really have wanted to give after all these years.
This is their moment of maturity and progress. This is Portishead the band, not the 'trip-hop' outfit that are so often dreadfully labeled as.
Track 2 Hunter, is one of the most melancholic and beautiful songs I have ever come across. There is a fragility and sad beauty in Beth's voice as she sings
"And if I should fall, would you hold me?
Would you pass me by?
Ooh, you know I'd ask you for nothing,
Just to wait for a while."
In Nylon Smile too, with its reversed guitar loop, reverbed out guitar, sparse and distant tribal drumming Beth's voice sounds so heartbreaking and real
"looking out I want to know someone might care
looking out I want a reason to be there
cause I don't know what I've done to deserve you
and I don't know what I'll do without you"
Dark and beautiful, even jarring at moments like so much of this album, tracks seem odd at first. Deep Water borders on being frightening in its simplicity Vocals/Ukulele/Eerie barber-shop quartetesque 'backing vocals'.
Third is more 'like' Portishead than their previous work in that this album is unique and original, not easily giving off that air of nostalgia and easily accessible references. You can put on those other albums in the background and make it the soundtrack to doing the dishes, persuading boys to take your bra off or getting high on your way to some open air party with a bonfire after two days of clubbing. They were, and are easily digested, and anyone that doesn't tend to 'think' about what they listen to could eat the whole cake with ease. Third asks you to listen, not just hear. The nuances of Beth's fragile voice. The often discordant guitar. The extremely well written and actually complex rhythms and movements that both creep up on you and come and go seemingly randomly. Third, at first sounds almost too simple and raw, like it's not really the finished album. But as soon as you 'get it', it stands out to be so much more original, tragic, beautiful and well written than their past efforts. It is like the drawings of Egon Schiel and Paintings of Gustav Klimt than the film noir ambience Dummy and Portishead emanated. I feel that fans of Portishead that don't like Third, are simply people that are stuck. People that do not progress, and Third IS progressive. Third is a piece of art.
