A really good album- I don't like potishead yet think it's very listenable and smooth and works well as an album. However, I am busy listening to the best thing I've heard for about six months. http://www.drownedinsound.com/articles/3797346

there's just something about it that puts me off slightly.. i gave it a 7.5..i think some tracks are excellent (the rip, we carry on, machine gun) but the overall tone of the album becomes a bit oppressive. the last three tracks are particularly problematic, they just seem to bleed into one not-particularly-great track. i honestly wanted to love this album, i loved dummy, but i think people are getting a bit carried away and overpraising it a bit. we'll see how people view it a year down the line. i'm not being smart or anything, but just because an album is difficult doesn't necessarily make it great.

Some people like it, some people don't. You've probably noticed that this happens a lot in life.

Imagine if everyone agreed with you all the time? Pretty annoying right?

For my two cents worth, I think the Portishead album has some songs on it some people may like and also, etc.

I think what you're generally getting at here is your annoyance that albums you like are not regarded as awesome by people who don't "get it", you would prefer them to almost bow in front of you in awe rather than have their own opinion. Which they may force on you, which is no fun for sure.

So in summary, what the fuck does it matter what other people think of your taste?

Wow, cheery start today huh?

I listened to it twice last night and I'm still undecided. There are some great moments, machine gun and the rip are obviously brilliant, and I love deep water despite the fact that it sounds like portishead doing 'surf' and sits very bizarly in the context of the rest of the album...I think lyrically its excellent.
I think my main issue with the album as a whole is that it lacks the emotional impact that previous portishead albums had...I appreciate the abstract experimentation but where's the heart? And I think the production does absolutely nothing for Beth's voice...which is so frustrating cos its the bands strongest asset.

*bows and exits*

I thought we'd agreed that average was five. When did this whole anything less than a six is a kick in the teeth rating system? It's like, a societal thing. Is it genuinely because we see mediocrity as an weakness and if so, aren't the rating given with that taken into account.

Hmm. Completely off topic.

Portishead are an amazing act with a nigh unimpeachable legacy. Which meant that Relief Alone would add a point onto the rating for Third if it turned out to be good. I thought it was a really good album that managed to be A Portishead Album while also taking the band into New Sonic Territories.

It's not as good as Dummy but when you consider the difference between Mezzanine and 100 Broken Windows or whatever, it's like the second coming of the messiah.

As a completely stand alone thing by a new band there's a chance I wouldn't like it quite as much but it'd still be a great album, for my money.

_

But it's still pretty avrage.

For my money, excuse me here, but Portishead are basically rubbish. They barely know their way around a tune, and that Geoff bloke's production style has been done a million times before, a million times better. Dummy sounded really fresh because of a few excellent choices of samples. But once they decided to ditch the samples on Portishead, they were revealed as the one dimensional misery machine they really were. Note: I am aware this is a rather extreme personal point of view. And I really do like Dummy.

Wasn't really into their previous stuff, but this just brilliant. Some excellent songs and really well put together (We carry On followed by Deep Water the Machine gun) and a good mix of styles. It is a pretty dark album but I think that works well. I'd say it is probably the only really great album (I've heard) released this year.

i reckon. it's just so dark and sketchy. and i love the production.

We Carry On sounds like Silver Apples. But better.

so different from anything else, it's so heavy and crunchy and industrial, and yet i find it endlessly listenable. We carry on reminds me of a Angel by Massive Attack (in a tension/release way) without sounding in anyway similar or derivative not to angel, but to anything. I think the album is brilliant, deserved to be on the mercury short list, I'm shocked it wasnt.

Either thinks it's average or a fantastic and one just "trashing" the band. No real in-depth feedback, but I guess much can't be said.