Third

I like this, I like the sounds. I feel like I preferred the songs on their earlier albums, but it has some cool soundscapes. I did however find it easy to be distracted away from it and meant that it has taken me a few goes to think I've heard enough of it to write a review. Not totally sure why.

Toch gewoon wel een banger van een plaat. Dromeriger dan die stem wordt het niet. En dan knalt die best er toch af en toe wel dik op. Niet heel toegankelijk, wel heel tof 7,5/10

All Portishead is good. This is just least good Portishead. 3.33/5

Enjoyable, interesting album. Last song very good.

I adore Portishead, but this is not their best. I would swap this album for Roseland NYC Live which is an incredible album and has some of my all time fave recordings of Portishead songs. Some of the choices for this list really surprise me when looking at a full catalogue of an artists work, I'm not convinced Robert Dimery even listens to them all. I'd love to know his rating system (or lack thereof!)

While not as strong to me as their earlier work it still has the haunting impending doom like march that i find intriguing. In addition to the vocals I quite enjoy the varied and downtempo beats too especially on “we carry on”.

I can't say that this album moved me very much, except to add an extra sense of foreboding to my digestion of last night's news about the Israel/Iran conflict. It's certainly not something I would seek out again, as much as I like electronic music.

This album has such a surreal sound to it, I like it. The backing tracks for all the songs are so lovely and unique; on the other hand, the vocals are quite difficult to get into. Perhaps a re-listen to it or listening through their other albums will help.

just flat out weird. I read the album description and was a little surpised to see their influences, pretty creative, especially the film sounstracks for John Carpenter films, I can kinda see that vibe in a couple of the songs, but the doo wop influence? where? Deep Water probably sat with me best just due to it being more of a traditional song. Everything else feels super experimental and tries for vibes more than anytbing else, the singers voice wears pretty thin.

Hauskan kuuloinen naisvokalisti sekä konesoundit. Ihan jees kamaa.

This feels like an evolution of trip-hop that Dummy created, the (at the time, I guess) modern tech really fits with the vocals. That said, I still like Beth Gibbons' solo work more than this.

I'm really glad I listened to it, it felt like I was actually hearing the source of inspiration of several artists I already like, such as Radiohead and Mitski. I especially liked The Rip and Machine Gun, which also seem to stick out in terms of number of streams. However, a bit overwhelming of a listen through, I can imagine listening to this while walking in a rainy forest but not everyday.

The third best Portishead studio album. Sorry. A bit to aggressive for me.

It was nothing special.

anxiety inducing. beautiful melodies followed by pulse inducing elevated beats. not bad for a workout. not a huge fan of her voice.

Quirky and different. Rythmic and dense. Noisey at times but I like it. Might need more time with this one.

I like moments of Portishead, but I can't get into them. I've tried.

I liked Portishead in college...but this was meh

Enjoyed the sounds! Vocals were a little weak imo. Fun stuff.

I'm largely unfamiliar with this and except for their singles like Sour Times. This was a little different from that, and this album came out much later than I thought it would have, because I associate them with the 90s. I liked it. It reminded me a little bit of Björk, kinda. It makes me think I need to check out their other stuff. 3.75

Nowhere close to as good as Dummy, but still some cool parts

I'd give this an additional half star if I could. I like it, it's great focus music, it's just not engaging enough.

trip-hop, 2008 -> 3

While I do like Portishead, this album is kind of a bummer. But a more aggressive bummer than I was expecting.

Didn't care for the last Portishead album. Silence had me in a bit of a groove, but I didn't care for the abrupt change into Hunter. The rest of the album was fine. Some of the effects and technical aspects were impressive, but musically it's just not there for me. Giving this one a low 3.

That was much weirder than Dummy and not nearly as good. Had some cool sound effects in it but it made me feel uneasy for pretty much the whole album The singer freaked me out with her voice. Not sure if it is intentional or a Spotify problem but the first song ended super abruptly which was not very cool. This is a mid to lower 3

This kind of lost me about halfway through. I don't think the vocals were great, although I did like some of the directions the musical accompaniment took.

I couldn't tell a lot of the time if this album wanted me to relax or keep me on edge, the vocal segments are really nice and tend to be complemented by more pleasant background tunes, though some of the instrumental stretches feel like they are trying to induce some sort of panic or unease in how odd they are. A down the middle score for something which aptly left me feeling the same way

Wow it’s tough to rate this one. I’ve had a week or two of really dull albums. This one is NOT. It made me take notice, and I appreciate that. The problem is I can’t really say that I enjoyed the majority of it. I do appreciate that I wasn’t bored for a second.. I would give it a 3.5 if I could.

Portishead is just always perfect. I rarely listen to them and I’m not sure why. This album sounded scarier than the ones I’m used to.

Truly a mix of good and bad for me. The Rip was excellent so that slightly redeemed it.

Me li ricordavo male e invece sono ascoltabili

Maybe Dummy has better songs, but I like the more detached moodiness this album offers. Still, I find Portishead very personally hard to get into, mainly from particular design choices.

Much better than the other Portishead album we listened to on this project. Some interesting sounds. Wish the vocals weren’t so breathy though.

Impressive

3.5

- veldig kule rytmer og elektroniske instrumenter, føles som tidlig 2000-tallet. - ikke så bra vokalist. Treffer ikke tonene man skulle ønske. Høres lite engasjert ut i sangene. - rytmene blir irriterende etterhvert, når drum-loopen aldri bryter.

Ils ont décidément bien fait de se réformer cette année là !

Gloomy and disjointed but intriguing

This is clearly Portishead style but it does not make me travel like the sounds of the previous albums. I did not like it as much as previous ones.

Not the biggest Portishead.

Appreciate the artistry but i don’t think portishead is really for me

I think this starts really well but really goes downhill in the second half. Generous 3.

This one feels like it’s trying to hypnotize you but keeps forgetting the spell halfway through. There’s a gray fog over the whole thing, and it never really clears. Listened to it twice (background, while cleaning) and still couldn’t tell you if I liked it or just tolerated it. There’s texture, but not much shape. I kept expecting it to hit a gear it never shifted into. Good for spacing out, but it never asked me to care. Spins: 2 Playlist Additions: - Nylon Smile - The Rip

3 out of 5. Some good stuff here and I appreciate what they're going for.

Little weird. Albums has ups and downs.

Sounds a lot more dramatic than their debut album. I really like how it seems to build and build into some very unnerving noises. There isn't really a song structure or tangible instrument to latch onto here, unsettling stuff. That said, I think this album teeters on just being random sounds a bit too much at times. This will probably grow on me with more listens. The album cover is great in its simplicity as well.

Brilliant individual elements of sonic experimentation and haunting atmospherics that for whatever reason just doesn’t all come together for me.

Good album. It's really different from their previous stuff. Very listenable and creative.

I kind of dig it

„Third“ ist das dritte Studioalbum der britischen Band Portishead und erschien 2008. Es markiert eine deutliche Weiterentwicklung im Vergleich zu ihren früheren Arbeiten. Das Album wurde in verschiedenen Studios aufgenommen, darunter das berühmte Real World Studio in Box, England, unter der Leitung von Adrian Utley und Geoff Barrow, den beiden Hauptmitgliedern der Band. Musikalisch bewegt sich das Album weit von dem klassischen Trip-Hop-Stil der ersten beiden Alben weg und integriert Elemente aus Industrial, Electronica und experimentellem Rock. Diese Mischung sorgt für einen dunklen, atmosphärischen Klang, der jedoch nicht mehr die vertraute Melancholie der Anfangsjahre transportiert. Die Songs sind oft minimalistisch und in ihrer Struktur unvorhersehbar, was das Album weniger zugänglich, aber dafür tiefgründiger macht. Zu den herausragenden Tracks zählen „Machine Gun“, das mit seiner düsteren Atmosphäre und der schweren Industrial-Instrumentierung auffällt, und „The Rip“, das durch seine emotionale Tiefe und den sanften, fast hypnotischen Sound besticht. Auch „Threads“ überzeugt mit seiner ständigen Spannung und der druckvollen, doch subtilen Produktion. Das Album wurde von Kritikern positiv aufgenommen, jedoch wurde auch seine weniger zugängliche Natur hervorgehoben. Fans von Portishead dürften die Weiterentwicklung des Bandsounds schätzen, während Hörer, die an den früheren, sample-basierten Trip-Hop gewöhnt sind, etwas enttäuscht sein könnten. Insgesamt bietet „Third“ ein spannendes, aber herausforderndes Hörerlebnis, das die Band in einer neuen musikalischen Richtung zeigt. „Third“ ist ein mutiger Schritt weg vom klassischen Trip-Hop-Sound und bietet eine komplexe, düstere Klangwelt. Das Album ist weniger eingängig, aber für Fans von experimenteller Musik durchaus lohnenswert.

I find the legacy of Third strange and interesting. I’ve recently discovered to my surprise that it’s highly regarded in some circles and just the fact it made this list shocks me. Portishead released one of the greatest debuts of all time in Dummy, and it remains rightfully a towering work. Then the difficult follow-up did a very fine job of meeting expectations; it wasn’t Dummy 2 but it kept close enough to the formula. It’s another excellent album. Then roughly ten years passed and Third came along. I was bitterly disappointed. Gone are the turntables and heavy, trip-hop beats. The rhythm section is heavily dependent on tinny drum machines and laptop electronics in place of most live instruments. The samples and tidbits from dusty archives are much sparser, less atmospheric and rinsed dry by synths and compressors. Even Beth Gibbons’ vocals, such a stunning feature on the first two albums, feel phoned-in, tired and lacking emotional range. I love Portishead so much for their early work so I just feel like I can’t rate this too low. It does have its moments. But I didn’t choose to listen to it for a good 15 years after hearing it the first few times and even a fresh listen now won’t be changing that.

Creativity won the 3

Songs here that I definitely liked, The Rip, We Carry On, Machine Gun and Magic Doors especially, but there were too many tracks that I didn't feel enough for, so it will be getting a 3.

Machine Gun was about as fun as it gets

I enjoyed this album overall and it seemed to roll along easily!

Quite unsettling overall. It stressed me out. Stand-out: The Rip

I think this album will grow on me with repeated listens. Unique textures and the lead singers haunting voice are the stand out qualities.

The rip is one of my top 10 songs but the rest of the album is inconsistent as may be boring to my taste. There are some good stuff as well.

No me gusta tanto como 'Dummy', pero tiene su misma onda, quizás un poco más electrónico del ruidoso.

Some ok stuff on here, but mixed in with some real snorers.

started getting more interested around Rip. kinda lost me after that but i'm back now at magic doors. Reminds me of Karen o and some of the yeah yeah yeah songs i love

Good. Not as good as dummy.

Not keen on the industrial sound but decent otherwise. I feel like I should hate this lot but I can't

Three for Third. The original Portishead album was one of my favorite discoveries thus far doing this project, but this one was just…okay. Not sure what it was, but it was missing that special “spark” the first one had. I didn’t hate listening to it, but it kinda felt like a more average retread of the first one. Thus, three stars.

First impressions after about 10 minutes - am getting a strong sense of unease while listening. I like it. Nothing is predictable here - hypnotic. Unfortunately some of it gets a little much and after the first run of 5 or so songs I don't know anymore - e.g. "Machine Gun?" perfectly-titled. Kind of (completely) unlistenable. Which followed the oddly-placed Deep Water (ukelele??). We'll call this a mixed bag - I really really like and am lost in about half the songs which is usually enough to cruise to an easy 4 or 5 but it might be more suited to making my own playlist of half the album. Would i have to call it 1/6th? (....because .... half of a third is..... ...) 6/10 3 stars.

A different vibe than the first two Portishead albums, which I am extremely familiar with. Some tracks connected, but there is something different that misses the mark. They no longer have the vibe of hiding in a dark room, poring out your soul to the heavens.

Not as good as Dummy, and probably not needed in here as well as Dummy, but still an interesting listening from Portishead. High 3*, The Rip is fantastic. Machine Gun very cool too.

I think moving away from triphop wasn't the best call. That was something that made them really unique and interesting. The production on their album is still really good, though. Even the drums, which I usually hate fake or overproduced drum sounds, I'm actually quite impressed by. The singer's voice is also really nice, and I think is pretty unique. After listening to Dummy, though, I was really excited to hear another Portishead album, and this just disappointed. Maybe coming into this with absolutely no expectations would have changed by experience, but I can't imagine it would have dramatically moved the needle for me. There are still some good songs, but overall, it's disappointing. Favorite Song(s): Hunter, Thread

I usually like Electronica, but this has a too-dark mood for me. Beth's sometimes eery voice, the disharmonies, and the occasionally a bit too experimental music weren't my thing.

Nice, has a very specific mood which I can’t quite describe. A little bit of tension and stress. Great album though. The rip is an amazing song.

Ok i have one more song to go but i don’t mind this. It was nice to hear a feminine voice

If every song was as fun as the opener, this would have been a 4.

The first half of the album was a bit slow and meh for me besides the first song. The second half of the album from deepwater to threads is a 5 with Machine Gun being the peak. The haunting vocals, creative drums and eerie synth noises create a series of songs that feel like they were designed to put the listener into a state of anxious trance. Until you abruptly wake up to the sirens at the end of threads

it’s really good , wouldn’t t listen to it often since it’s quite bleak . 3 their first two albums would get 5 stars though.

It felt like 3 different bands played on this one crazy album but it was good

Not as good as Dummy, but an interesting listen 3/5

The Rip // Small //

This is another album that didn’t fully connect with me when listening to it as a standalone experience. While there are clear influences from artists like Radiohead and Kate Bush, and a strong electronic undercurrent, I found it hard to enjoy as a cohesive album. However, when I started imagining it as the soundtrack to a dark thriller, it clicked in a different way. The music feels tense and frantic, with a cinematic quality that lends itself well to visual storytelling. That said, the album’s deliberately offbeat and unconventional vibe made it feel a little too self-conscious for my taste—more “music for Tumblr girls” than something I’d revisit. Standout Song: The Rip Score: 3/5

More like 2,8

Silence 3.4 Hunter 3.2 Nylon Smile 2.7 The Rip 3 Plastic 2.8 We Carry On 3.4 Deep Water 2.9 Machine Gun 3 Small 3.2 Magic Doors 3.1 Threads 3.2 Score: 3.081818182

3.75 Pretty good, vulnerable, beautiful

I had stopped listening to Portishead by the time this album came out, though they had gotten their hooks in me deeply with the soundtrack from the cult classic film of the 90's 'Tank Girl' in their earlier years. Some of the first tracks don't hit that hard, but 'The Rip' seems to be a very important song. I found myself putting that on my favs list and wanting to hear it over and over.

I don’t have a connection to “Third” like I do with “Dummy,” so I’m trying to decide how much of my love of that album is rooted in nostalgia that is missing and unable to hook me into “Third.” When we reviewed “Dummy,” I said that it “flows sublimely from one track to the next, creating one of the most enveloping, haunting, sultry, and mesmerizing musical experiences I've had.” It's really interesting to consider “Third” in relation to that. “Third” also has some of that flow from one track to the next, to the extent that on much of the back half of the album I wondered if I was accidentally repeating a song. But it also has the jarring change from the first song to the second. And in general, it’s not quite as enveloping or mesmerizing because too many discordant moments shake the listener from their haunting bliss. It's a fascinating album, and impressively coherent, but in the end it doesn’t capture me the way “Dummy” did.

I will always and forever love Beth Gibbons' voice, loss of a star for some of the abrupt changes in sound/tempo that were jarring.

It sounds like they were trying to have their music be less accessible than their first two albums. I miss the scratching sounds.

I thought portishead were a bit more rocky than this, but not sure what I'm basing that on. This was interesting though, kinda industrial sounding. I'm not sure it's quite for me but I did quite enjoy it. Think the rip was the best track. Not sure I'll be back but glad I've heard it

Really interesting album from a band that I've heard their name but never their music. Atmospheric and dark, minimal at times. Krautrock and trip hop influences. Really unique.

I do quite like Portishead, pretty nice stuff

This album started with 5 stars because Dummy could be my favorite album ever. But after the listen, I can't say I was impressed. It felt uninspired and at times it was so dissonant that I questioned if I was being pranked. It was a big disappointment for me

Some parts awesome, some dissonant

Almost as anxiety inducing as when Len’s mum used to offer to cook when we were jamming late in his garage! God bless her, she was one hell of a woman and so generous but my god she couldn’t cook. She almost wrote off an entire Houmous & Chutney tour wit her devilled eggs! 2.8

Best Song: The Rip. Nicely understated, and I like how it transitions into the heavier electronic section. Worst Song: Small. The distortion was really unnecessary here and clashed with the vocals. Overall: Very nice. Very background. Promotes a particular chill vibe without being too forward or laidback.

Dark and trenchant, but often resonant (especially when listening in the right circumstances [slightly depressed, say, on a grim winter's day]). Ages better than Dummy, thanks to cutting the cutesy (and uber-trip-hoppy) effects. This is music to set you on edge. “Nylon Smile” is woozy and warbly; “We Carry On” grinding (perhaps appropriately) and annoying. The migraine-inducing “Machine Gun” seems to want to be Nine Inch Nails-lite, a most dubious aspiration on multiple levels. And it feels like music singularly subject to the context of weather: the worse it is, the better this sounds. Maybe trip-hop was never one's thing. Or maybe it was overrated all along. Or perhaps it's a curse to win the Mercury Prize, relegating/restricting your work to a moment in time or ensuring your future ambitions will be frustrated. Editors comparing to an allegedly failed effort by The Verve seems like cheap and insecure justification or apology for a record that one finds distinctly hard to get behind. Menacing? Yes, for sure, but not necessarily in an engaging way. Enduring? One just doesn't hear it.

Not a patch on Dummy, but Beth's voice is as amazing as ever.

Interesting. Don't think I'd listen to it very often, but enjoyed it nonetheless.

We listened to the first Portishead album recently on 1001 albums, and I think I said that I knew the songs well from "around" but never owned a copy. I liked it but never thought of it as "my music" though it was of my time. I think the problem is I don't really enjoy listening to Beth Gibbons voice. And that is repeated here. This is a "comeback album" of sorts, after ten years and the band being put on hiatus. Or so I read on Wikipedia. I also read that this marked a move from the original trip hop style to more krautrock influences. All of which explains my initial reaction to the first song which was I was really enjoyed the groove until the singing started and then I wanted to skip it. And when the singing stopped I was really enjoying the groove again but then it stopped abruptly. After this, there were grooves I liked and didn't, times when the singing didn't annoy me too much, and stuff. It was okay. I don't think I'll come back to it though.

I remember this feeling a really ‘abrasive’ album at the time, the band deliberately going against their previous two efforts and their softer sound. It’s interesting to listen to again after all these years, still abrasive but also an excellent album… a 3.5 almost 4 for me….

Interesting, but requires the right mood to listen.

a little too late

Portishead has a completely unique sound. I bought Dummy on a whim during the 90's British invasion and was surprised how much I liked it. This one is good as well, just had fallen off my radar by the time they put it out.

What I like about Portishead is they're impossible to define or put in a box. I guess experimental is the only way you could describe their music because they sure keep you guessing. I heard some similarities with seventies' progressive music, which makes sense with the psychedelia! I can't say I loved this album. I genuinely liked it, but more important than that, my appreciation grew the more I listened to it.

It's really wild to consider that Portishead has been around since the 1990s and yet this album, released in 2008, was only their third studio album (and as of 2024, still their most recent). And yet, it was like they were never gone, as this album embraces the same trip-hop, atmospheric, creepy aesthetic that they were pioneering in the 90s. It's impressive that they can stay so consistent over such a long period of time with so very little in their discography. This also sounded incredibly inspired by horror movie music to me, so I was pleased to see that I was spot on: John Carpenter was a huge influence to them on this album. That inspiration weaves in so well with their style. The John Carpenter style ending in particular was haunting. Was this the absolute best thing on the project? No. But I enjoyed it. And I like the fact that Portishead is so intentional with their work that it produces truly unique listening experiences.

Not their best album couple of tracks, maybe had run their course by this point. Interestingly can hear some Beak in this!!!

some really cool stuff in here! unfortunately also some tough bits to listen to

Very chill but not Portisheads best

I like Portishesd generally. Machine Gun is the stand out.

My least favorite album by one of my all time favorite bands. I wouldn’t go a week without listening to Portishead when I was in high school. I was so pumped when this album came out - I think it had been 10 years since Live at Roseland. Unfortunately this one just never mustered the same kind of genius as their earlier stuff. Interesting, but not quite top form.

3.3/3 duh

Their weakest to me

Didn't enjoy as much as other Portishead

This is a challenging album, no doubt about it, but kudos to the band for taking the risk. Tres chic 90s angst is replaced with 2000s The Great Recession paranoia and despair depicted by a slew of Minor 3rd chord progressions over adventures in multiple genres. I'm not a fan of Gibbons voice, but fortunately the instrumentals and arrangements or so crazy on this album that I have plenty of other interesting things to listen to on these tracks.

Like it but didn’t love it. Just never really caught me. I like the instrumentals the best.

I really haven't had much exposure to Portishead before. I did enjoy parts of this album. It's sort of interesting but kind of annoying too. I'll settle for a 3 since it will at least inspire me to listen to more of this band.

This was a good listen and had an interesting style but it grabbed me less than I expected. Gave it two listens wondering if I'd find more but didn't really.

Their second best

I was already familiar with the Dummy album but not this one. It is interesting, about what I would have expected it to sound like. Sort of cool and futuristic. I liked it enough to hear it again, but don't know that I'd pick this one over Dummy.

Decent listen, but docked a star for the author’s compunction to include a band’s entire discography. “Dummy” is a clear 5-star entry, and this album should appear as a footnote.

A bit too acid not enough jazz

Portishead innit

I really like Portishead, especially the album Dummy, but this one didn't quite grab me. It lacked the musicality to tie it together and was more a collection of ethereal and experimental sounds without a common thread.

I reviewed Dummy a few months ago, and I really loved it, but that was my first exposure to Portishead, so I’ve never listened to this album before. With as much as I enjoyed Dummy, I’ve been excited to review this album. I’m curious to see how this album sounds, especially since it came out 14 years after Dummy. Overall, Third was fine. This album has a very different sound than Dummy, but like Dummy, it manages to have a specific atmosphere and mood that slips into every crevice of the album. I really loved the trip-hop sound of Dummy, and I knew not to expect that same sound going into Third, but musically, Third was really hit or miss for me. The highs on Third were great, but the lows felt dull and unnecessary in a sense. I really didn’t enjoy the first three songs on the album, but with “The Rip,” I started to be a lot more interested in it musically. The more grating and experimental the sound got, the more I enjoyed it. I felt like the more grating and jarring sounds created a better mood that meshed really well with the darker lyrical themes of the album. While Dummy had a more laid-back sound, I liked the anxious energy of Third quite a bit. I enjoyed the darker lyrical tone of this album, and Beth Gibbons’s vocals were a great vehicle for those lyrics. Her singing didn’t have much emotion on this album, but it I thought it worked well, because it gave her the quality of being an observer to the narrator’s emotions and experiences, and that detachment made the mood even more pervasive. As much as I loved Dummy, I could take or leave this album. It’s certainly not bad, but it doesn’t feel as essential as Dummy does.

I prefer the earlier albums, "Portishead","Dummy" and the Roseland NYC live album.

I feel like I was haunted by a beautiful ghost. It was really a lovely experience.

It is a very interresting album with various vocal and instrumental tones. Some recognision apperes during the album, and I can here other newer bands have found some inspiration here. I like it, although it might not want to here it that often :)

Psychedelic isn't really one of my favourite genres, most of the time I don't really connect with it a lot however Portishead hits a good mix for me with the more experimental and electronic elements. I found the first part of the album pretty enjoyable and then as I progressed through the tracks became more grating which I think was on purpose. I respect that, but I did enjoy those tracks like 'Magic Doors' a lot less Standouts Nylon Smile 3/5

They had a vision and they executed it uncomfortably well, but it didn’t click with me

I really liked the music but not the vocals. Bummer.

i definitely enjoyed the second half of the album much more i think it was a lot tighter and more interesting overall

tem umas músicas boas e é uma boa vibe, mas tb tem umas que pqp

3.5/5. Portishead III.

I love Portishead’s Dummy and selftitled album from 1997 - I never really got into this at the time of its release. It’s good, but not totally on par with the two mentioned albums.

Soundelike Kate Bush over an electronica album. I didn’t hate it.

Not my type of music, but I didn't hate it. It reminded me of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, like the type of music they'd play at The Bronze. So I enjoyed the nostalgia. I don't think I'd seek out Portishead in the future though.

I knew Portishead were chilled, but this is pretty stripped back. A bit too stripped back for me, some of the hooks are catchy but it's a little bare and devoid of interest

Rating: 6/10 Pretty good album overall. I really respect the experimentation of this album, it is risk-taking while maintaining the group's trademark sound. There are a lot of cool ideas, from the odd instrumentation to the unorthodox song structures. Despite this album being quite unique in sound, I do not find a decent bit of it enjoyable musically. Favorite songs: Nylon Smile, We Carry On, Small, Magic Doors. Worst songs: Machine Gun, Threads.

Quite different form their earlier stuff with more of a rock feel. One that would benefit from another listen

I think we got a portishead album prior that I wasn't a fan of, and while I'm not a huge fan of this one either, I liked it better than the last. Just a little too unsettling for my taste.

Hieman epätasainen platta. Joistain biiseistä tykkäsin, osa taas jäi vähän tylsiksi.

It was good, I far prefer Dummy though.

It’s no Dummy, is it.

not bad

This is way different than what I thought Portishead was. I pictured them as a shitty incubus style band but this is way weirder. Not exactly for me but I respect it.

Not my thing but it was interesting to listen to.

1. zilence - 1 2. hunter - 2 3. zmile - 1.5 4. rip - 1 5. plaztic - 1.5 6. carry on - 2 7. uuater - 1.5 8. gun - 2 9. zmall - 1 10. doorz - 1.5 11. threadz - 2

Some very intriguing sounds build into a very morose album. I do like parts of it, but it's not going to enter my rotation any time soon. I think The Rip may have been my favorite? Reminds me a lot of St Vincent

Really enjoyed the first half but got bored

якобы уже не такой триппи хоппи, но слишком ветер в камышах чтобы долго слушать

Hmmm..... surprised the ST debut isn't the one on this list. Maybe it is later. I've never listened to this one, but LOVE their OG work back in the 90's. I mean LOVE! so let's see if this holds up to that bar. Huh. More experimental than previous works for sure. Maybe on more listens I'd figure it out, but on first listen it's pretty boring. Not much to hear here.

3+

not up to classic ealry Portishead standards

Personally, this album took its time to grow on me. As the tracks passed by, my appreciation increased progressively. I could be very wrong, but at times it would give me a sensation of brutalisme. Highly enjoyed the listen.

Weird ahh music style però no m'ha desagradat. ELR: 3/5

3 5

It's been about two weeks since I listened to this and I can't remember anything about it except thinking that it didn't have much variety and was dead on 2.5/5. music: hated. (⌐■_■)

Man its avantgarde. i dont love it but there are these little golden nugget moments where it all makes sense. i gotta respect it

A bit of a snoozer but good for a chill time

Good mix of ambient and industrial sounds, which for me don't sound like they should go well together but they do on this album

i am literally scared to give this anything other than 3 stars like this shit is SCARY but also i appreciate it hella for that. Anxiety: the album

Definitely, not their best ;-) But, since I like Portishead, my 3 stars rating

Definitely a lot better than when I listened to Dummy for some reason. Will revisit this too

Vocals were lovely. Didn't really shine for me

‘Third’ goes OK, but it’s a bit of a slow burn. There are glimpses of the old magic in songs like ‘Machine Gun’, ‘Threads’, ‘Plastic’ and ‘The Rip’. I also like ‘Silence’ as an opener. Then it goes off into other weird and wonderful psychedelic directions. My initial thoughts were that it’s not as good as Portishead’s first two albums…but subsequent listens suggest that perhaps I am wrong. It's a 3 for now, but that could change to a higher rating over time.

God damn, if you want to sell me on an album before I even listen to it, tell me that the influences for the album were "krautrock, surf rock, doo wop and the film soundtracks of John Carpenter" because all of that shit is awesome. However, I wouldn't say that those influences were super obvious in this album, apart from perhaps Krautrock, and even that is really relying on the hugely varied nature of that genre. This isn't a bad album, but any means, it's just not the version of Marry, Fuck, Kill with Neu, the Ventures, and the Shangri-Las that I was hoping from the description. Portishead has always been a bit dower for me, and I liked their trip-hop stuff better, but still this album deserves credit for trying to do something different and expand their horizons. Overall it is well-executed, but it could have really used a shit-load more doo-wop 3/5

Good album but not nearly as interesting as their first.

It was the first time I liked this strange trip-hop stuff. It's still more strange than likable, but I normally can't stand electronic stuff, and now I believe I maybe can handle things like Portishead.

This is an album which makes me have to consider my rating for a good while. I had to do a second listen through in order to make my decision and it’s going to have to go as a 3/5. I absolutely love just under half of this album…but the rest not so much. With the style of these songs I feel they have to click or not and there isn’t an in-between. The songs which I do dig I put more weight on than the songs which simply do not click with me and so this has to land on a 3/5.

good good not my "third" favorite album but that's something

What a weird album. Thought I’d prefer this over the other Portishead album I’ve heard, and I didn’t. Not for me. Good atmosphere though. 5/10 Top 3: 1. Deep Water 2. Machine Gun 3. Silence

This is why you listen to the album all the way through! So close to turning it off after the fifth song, Plastic (WOW that song sucks ass), but "We Carry On" - Sick song. Loved the groove, kinda Radiohead vibes. Then "Deep Water" a lovely little ukulele ditty, right up my alley. From there, I really got into the weirdness of the rest of the album. Overall, really don't like the vocals and the only good vocal melody is "Deep Water"

“They incorporate the film scores of John carpenter “ IM FUCKIGN READY FOR THIS SHIT LETS GO

This album somehow feels like trying to relax but if the relaxation itself were in a minor key

At first was not super into it but it grew on me as I listened. May take a listen again in future.

pre listening notes: ido anything about this band. i have to get some work done today so there will be less notes than usual. their most popular album on spotify looks to be Dummy (1994) but this is the second most popular it seems Silence - def not silence, i like the french at the beginning. kinda giving scary. i would love happy album Hunter - i feel like i’m watching an artsy indie horror movie. i like the weird nano-esque fast paced bits, the musicality is interesting and unique. Nylon Smile - sounds like a song about depression. the sound of this album so far seems divorced from time. this album came out in 2007 but there’s nothing tying it to that time. not good or bad, just an observation The Rip - okay so i didn’t really have anything to say until the synth came in and then i legit got chills. just a genuinely good song. idk if i would listen to it on its own but. slay Plastic - i liked it but not much to say We Carry On - drums. weird! i like guitar riffing that comes in around the halfway point. idk how u come up with this stuff Deep Water - acoustic guitar is wholly unexpected on this album. i like this one a lot. my fav Machine Gun - sounds like a machine gun loll Small - lots going on here but i don’t have anything to say about it. this album is full of droning noises and long high pitched sounds which i do not love Magic Doors - nothing to say Threads - I like this one this album was a hard one because i understand why it would be on this list, i’ve never heard anything like it before. but can i say it was the most enjoyable listen? no. not a terrible listen tho. i’m neutral on it! 3/5

Vähän taiteellista, mutta ei ihan liikaa. Rokkimaista, melodiat aika outoja mysteerisellä tavalla. Hidastempoista. En kuitenkaan ihan kauheasti pitänyt. Parhaat: The Rip, Threads

i do really like portishead. i didn’t really like this album. its definitely innovative and has got a distinct sound, but i couldn’t casually listen to it

I liked this way more than I was expecting I would. I am in general not a big fan of Trip-hop. I had already had another Portishead album, "Dummy" a while ago, and I like this one way more. Enjoyable listen for sure.

Dissonant and unexpected. There’s a time I could/can enjoy it but it wasn’t today.

the rip we carry on machine gun

Though there are elements for that dated genre 'Trip-Hop' here (well they were one of the first) this album has a much more electronic focus. The mood is still like raindrops on park railings, Beth Gibbons' vocals are still like a broken waif on a moor and there are no real surprises. We only need one of their albums in this list - if it's this one or 'Dummy' it doesn't really matter. Best Tracks: Silence; Plastic; Machine Gun

If Dummy was not on this list I’d be annoyed because I think it’s a better album. Beth’s voice is still eerie and ethereal and enchanting but these songs don’t grab me as much. Maybe after more listens they will but I am still agog over their first album 30 years later. This is only a Third as good.

If there had been a little more of her beautiful voice, this might’ve gotten a 4.

These guys are cool. I owned their second album (the studio album before this) and felt like I didn't need to explore more. So this was interesting in that it caused me to explore more anyway. But, I listened to the album via Echo (Alexa) here at my mom and dad's (not ideal, but it's my best option when here). So the album plays without me knowing names of tracks, etc., which is fine. But, I paused the record as I needed to actually think whilst working, and when I resumed, I thought MAYBE I was hearing tracks I had already listened to, but couldn't be sure. Three songs in, I verified, and that was indeed the case. So it says something... I've been listening with intention, and can't even recognize tracks I just listened to an hour or so before. Not exactly high praise. I think it's a little too disjointed for me to truly love.

I do like this band’s sound and vibe but a little goes a long way. Time & place particularly important with Portishead.

almost a 4 star. very strong start but the end lost me

Beauty

I love Portishead - both studio albums prior to this especially. This has its moments (Machine Gun especially), and it certainly still has the darkness of the other two, but Third feels more on the bitter side, with less of the sweet. The influences here seem too much like homages - if you like We Carry On, you'll LOVE Silver Apples. And there's a fair bit of Sabbath and motorik in there, too. All of these are good things, but it feels like they overwhelm the essential Portishead-ness somehow. Better than much on this list (imo), but the fourth best by Portishead (if you include the live Roseland album).

Toivoisin, ettei heidän masistelunsa olisi ihan näin ehdotonta, mutta jään silti kuuntelemaan jokaista levyllä esitettyä ideaa. Ei vakituiseen kulutukseen - vain kulutukseen.

i dont have the energy for a review

Close to a 4, but i think it just lacked a little edge to push it up

Ikke helt min smak as, for deprimerende

My only real previous experience of Portishead was the Dummy album who all the music critics raved about. I never liked this album then or more recently having bought the CD cheaply in an attempt to discover if I was missing something. I really wanted to like them so when Third arrived on this list I was very keen to give it a fair chance. To me Dummy suffered from too much hip hop and electronica for my taste. Third is an improvement but I really want my music to be melodic and conventional. There are one or two nice melodies on this album but just as I think this the music goes off in a way I don’t want or like. Then there is the overuse of industrial sounds interrupting the melodic flow of the album and making it, to my ears, almost unlistenable. Without all the abrasive bangs and clanks this album would have been a whole lot better. One exception to this is the massive vibrating bass sound at the end of Threads (best track) which gave my speakers a real good workout and producing a very satisfying sound. There is enough on this album to liek but not enough to make me return to it.

TBH, not my style of music, but not terrible. But wait a minute - I accidently played a Portishead mix that was not all (or even mostly) this album. So this album specifically...

surprisingly, not bad. Decent enough electronica, with just enough melodic changes to keep it interesting

Damn, those strings, that guitar. What a classic and signature sound. This first track, with it's muted keys melody (three notes ascending), is just so recognisable. Incredible. A really strong album, not nearly as impactful as their original 90's offerings but quintessentially Portishead - which is never a bad thing. This is likely to rise on second listen.

I’ve loved Portishead’s first album since it came out. In fact, I think I gave it 5 stars on this very platform. It’s a hauntingly beautiful album. Strangely enough, I haven’t really listened to them outside that album, so I was happy when this one came up. This album is still haunting, but not so beautiful. The melodies are awkward and uncomfortable. It’s interesting but not so enjoyable to listen to. 3 stars.

I tried to like the album, but just didn’t.

I understand why people like this, but I don't do drugs. Favorite song: Nylon Smile

Boring

La canción 6 es gloriosa!

Cool! Ungewöhnlich. Nichts für jeden Tag.

Bit disappointed in this as it didn't live up to our first experience with Portishead, but there's some decent stuff on this.

hi so i tried to listen to this earlier but i was on shrooms and didnt get far. it kinda elevated the high though silence- the loop is crazy i do enjoy it i think i gave it a 6 or 7. hunter- this one was wack. ummmmmm kinda bpring 4 nylon smile- i hated this one. we'll see how i feel. yeah im bored . 4 the rip- the guitar is cringe. listen im a hater at heart and you can tell that by how i call most songs boring but i do really like listening to these albums cause it helps expand horizons. that being said this is boring as shit. 3 or 4 plastic- i like the weird percussion. boring too though. 5. we carry on- oh god its 6 minutes. i like these noises. i like how its sound like its inside a computer. 6 deep water- ummmmm music. 6 machine gun- um i forgot. i like the weird robotic noises. id like this album if theyd just up the tempo. 6 small- its a slog. 4 magic doors- i got bored. i like the weird sax solo but thats about it. 3 threads- killing eve type shit. boring though 4. it was whatever. favorite song was deep water ig.

There’s a time and a place for this, and it’s a cool concept. But a whole album of this is a real bummer.

Gave this a few listens - it's not a simple album. Quite different to their earlier work - clear they wanted to move away from the triphop thang and start fresh. It doesn't hit home the same way Dummy did. It's still unique but not as strong. 3 stars, could perhaps revise to 4 with a few more spins.

Hard to describe this music. Electronic? Experimental? Soundtrack to an emotional sprial? Not bad overall, enjoyed some of the beats. Other elements not as much. 3.3

Je sais que vous êtes capables de mieux

This doesn't have the same atmosphere or power of their earlier material. I like the more band-like approach in theory, but this just doesn't feel cohesive. Sounds like a sort of mid life crisis reinvention. I like it in general, but after listening, I wouldn't voluntarily choose to listen again anytime soon. 3 for 3.

Respect to Portishead for this radical change in direction, when they could have rested on their laurels. However repeated listens has not won me over and this is partly because of the relentless downbeat vibe of most tracks. The Rip is undoubtedly the highlight here, but there is little else that stands out for me.

Love Portishead but just not this album.

Interestingly different than Dummy. Sounds more depressing and more... aggressive. Deep Water is a new fave of mine though. + Hunter + Deep Water

Many interesting elements, sounds like a combination of things I like: Lidl Björk, gloomy atmosphere, random noises. Not everything worked for me but it was a nice listen. Liked some parts in most songs, liked We Carry On as a whole

incredibly interesting sound that they manage to do nothing spectacular with the 2nd half of The Rip (the synth chromaticism/arpeggio(?)) was so nice but the rest of the album was pretty mid 3 for their uniqueness and the synth in The Rip, 2 otherwise

what the fuck brazil mentioned on the first track??? this sounds great, but not the kind of thing id go around listening to multiple times.

I made it halfway through but this really needs to be listened to in the middle of February when I haven’t left my house in a week and I’m wine drunk on a Wednesday night.

3. Probably not the best album to listen to while you're already having a headache.. Otherwise, it's fine?

average

I've got Dummy by this band; despite what friends tell me, it's a right old snoozer. This is a different, much more interesting proposition. Some really abrasive sounds meld with the dregs of a trip hop sensibility. Hell, there's even some music concrète here, and a hint of Neue Deutsche Welle influences like Fehlfarben lurking near the surface. I'm still not entirely convinced, especially by all the warbling, but a gloomy, ominous and interesting listen nonetheless.

You know what? I wasn't feeling this to start off. In fact, I was prepared to make some sort of joke about how no one has ever seen the world's biggest trip hop fan and the creator of this list in two separate locations at the same time. Because clearly the guy who made this list is the One True Trip Hop Fan of All Time and there's no arguing the point. And I won't argue that Third is in any way as good as Portishead's other stuff, but by the end I was pretty won over. "The Rip" is a pretty fantastic song. I liked "Threads" a lot, too. And really, everything in between was kind of working for me in a way that is different from the way their other stuff does. There's a more alternative bent to these songs, maybe? I don't know. I just know I liked it.

meh

Interesting and unique album with a lot of different sounds, dummy is far better though

I liked the textures of this album. Quite different to their other stuff. It was enough to keep me engaged.

psycho, voice norm

Very cool. It's super dark and a bit foreboding. It also somehow feels very 90s, as you'd maybe expect Portishead to, but also a bit like something from the future. Lots of beeps and boops, which I wouldn't want to hear all the time, but I definitely enjoyed here.

Not my jam, but let's not pretend that if this was Radiohead you wouldn't be calling it the best album ever.

Wat duistere psychedelische muziek. Er zaten een paar zeer goede nummers in, zoals Small.

Not anywhere near as good as Dummy, but alright

Portishead? Who...?? Spotify calls it part of the "trip hop" genre. Pretty trippy indeed. Kind of cool though. "Small" has been added to the 1,001 album favorites playlist. Funky groove.

Third is a weird album. I don't think there's much debating that. but especially coming from the previous catalogue of portishead. This really seems like am album I'd be all over but I only have fallen in love with the rip and machine gun. maybe in time I'll appreciate this album more but for now I'll just keep forgetting about it

It's fine.

good one, but the worst of the trio 6.5/10

I don't like her voice. The first song was good but that was it.

The Rip rips and the rest is p good but i dunno this was never really an album I got down on too much even back when I was a big portisheadhead 3.5/5

I do think the trip-hop sound got dated fast, so I'm glad that Portishead changed direction here. This is much darker and unsettling compared to their earlier work. Standout track for me is The Rip, Beth Gibbons voice is at her best and its just a lovely song and is probably their best song ever IMO.

It's an interesting one. It has less catchy tunes than dummy, but it does have a lot of interesting ideas on it. Needs more listens to fully evaluate

This is a tough one. Hardly resembles first two albums and a bit hard to get into overall. Yet, unique, interesting, and progressively experimental.

Probably the most palatable electronica tinged music. I really like a handful of their songs so I wish more of it did something for me

Interesting, heavily helped by vocals.

I'd stumbled upon a few of their songs in the past -- just happened to show up as I streamed music somewhat haphazardly -- and I liked the handful of songs I'd heard before. This is my first full listen-through of one of their albums, and I like this, too. They have a great way to blend electronica and rock and pop, and probably several other styles I'm not skilled enough to name, and I enjoy the performances and recordings. Things sound industrial and bleak at times, too, and I like the way they use these influences because they don't consume the whole album. Overall, this is a very good album.

Pretty good!

About as non-fun as electronic music can get. The combination of listening to this and having a dreadfully rainy afternoon legitimately put me in a sour mood. I really do think it’s quite good music but it’s just so heavy that I don’t know when I’ll be in the mood for it again. 5/10

Not really for me.

Heavy mental. Not an everyday record

I like this album but their first album “Dummy” blows this one away

It's Whisper Week on 1001 Album Generator.

Not completely clicking with me, but still good somehow. I feel like this project would grow on me with a few listens, just not ready to devote that time yet. VEEERRY strong 3.

Beetje een rommelig album. Af en toe best wel goed, ook veel matig en raar.

Three listenings in, and i don't think i can actually say what i really think about this album yet. I am sure i like it, but not quite sure how much yet. I'm certainly going to visit this one again.

An experimental, electronic sound with not much melody. Sometimes it is intense, other times it is sleepy. It has weird and interesting ideas but on first listen I found it to be just okay.

Op zich wel aardig, beetje Radiohead vibes. Maar dan wel een stukje minder goed. 3 sterren.

Good songs but the sound quality is ass

It’s fine chill times

A spicy melting pot of poison and poetry, sliced and sprinkled into the bubbling cavern of a prolapsed anus. My mother is much pleased.

Interesting

Gloomy and industrial, but with a surprisingly heartfelt core. Not for everyone.

Algo nuevo para mi, pero qué bueno que no fue el primero de los 1001 porque estaría sacadísimo de onda. No es desagradable y de hecho me gustó bastante, pero le doy 3 por no saber muy bien cómo criticar este tipo de música

Ik ben een groot fan van het album Dummy. Dus in 2008 was ik er als de kippen bij. Dit wílde ik echt horen. Maar de teleurstelling kon niet groter zijn. Third is muzikaal soms geforceerd, maar nog steeds niet heel interessant. Ik heb gisteren dit album dan ook maar op laten volgen door Dummy. Voor Third pers ik er met moeite 2,5 ster uit.

Beetje wazig album door al dat geexperimenteer. Gave nummers als the Rip (Daft Punk meets Kate Bush) en Machine Gun (filmmuziek voor de volgende Terminator) worden afgewisseld met raregeluidentracks. Maar waar is die relaxte triphop gebleven? Toch heb ik het wel met interesse geluisterd

Stretching electronic music to really cool places seems to be the bands entire MO. To take their genre places it rarely if ever goes. I’m not normally one for electronic music. But this…this wasn’t bad.

It was good. Quite surprised by it.

Bro, ok. Kai kurios labai nice, kai kurios siaubingai elektronines. 50/50 idk ka duot

The third best Portishead album by a stretch. Fourth if you also include the live album. Not a patch on their first two which are both 5*.

appropriately named

It’s not an exciting album. It’s almost in a coma it’s so downbeat. But it works, somehow. I always appreciate something that is sonically interesting and this album certainly is alluring in that sense.

It sounded like I thought it would

Portishead is from Bristol, England. This is their third album and they have two albums on the list of 1001 albums. Singles: --------------------------------------- Machine Gun (#52 UK) The Rip (#98 FRA) Magic Doors (#83 FRA) Initial Impression: Thumbs Up Standouts: Machine Gun, Deep Water Others: Magic Doors, The Rip,

Mér finnst þessi ekki eldast alveg eins vel og ég bjóst við. Ansi langt síðan ég hlustaði á hana síðast. En, þú veist, já já, ágætt stöff.

6/10 had some high highs (esp the first few and last few tracks) but some of the experimental sounds in the middle section really bugged me

6/10. I kinda like this music, but I don't love it, and don't really see why I needed to hear a second Portishead album before I died

A reminder of how great “Dummy” is.

I did not like this Portishead album as much as their first one.

Zwak voor deze band, vooral de zangeres. Zitten mooie momenten tussen zoals Machine Gun en Magic Doors, maar ook teveel onsamenhangende nummers.

Mooi, donker, maar ook wel deprimerend. Het nummer Machine Gun is geweldig. En aan Portishead zal voor mij altijd de anekdote blijven hangen dat ze jaren geleden op Best Kept Secret speelden en we met een hele groep vol verwachting in een stampvolle tent stonden. Behalve Nieke, die had enorme zin in een crêpe, en bombardeerde ons vervolgens tijdens het optreden met berichtjes: 'Waar staan jullie? Ik zie jullie niet!'😄

Mooi.

I don't love the vocals, but the music is so good. The combination makes for a frustrating listen. Highlights: Hunter, Small.

Not too bad.

Interesting and probably worth repeated listens to get the whole thing

3.8 - I had hopes but while some songs manage to rise above a depressing murk, others get stuck there. The first half is all strong and comes to a climax with “The Rip” which is an awesome blend of acoustic and digital sonics combined with interesting chord progressions that elevates the vocals to an ethereal space. I also love the brutality of “Machine Gun.” Mostly the second half feels like a letdown treading ploddingly with songs like “We Carry On.”

Interesting listen. For the most part, i enjoyed the vocals, but at times reminds me too much of Bjork. The beats were fine and some of the songs captured my attention, but too many didn't hold my interest.

I’ve never listened to Portishead before but I consider it to be a glaring omission from my aural collection. That said, I feel a bit disappointed that the ‘anti-Portishead’ album would be the first Portishead selection of which I discovered. I enjoyed the musical mood painting that this sound canvas had on me, but still I can’t help but hunger for what made Portishead Portishead.

Quite alright, but without the magic of earlier albums

Lots of great textures. Very vibey. I liked the whispery vocals but wish she had another different kind of voice (like a scream, or even spoken) that she could use sometimes to contrast. I had a hard time following lyrics sometimes. The music sets such a cool backdrop I wish I had more of a story or hook to grab on to. Favorite songs: Nylon Smile and Magic Door

Pretty cool and vibe you. I’ve only heard their live in NYC record and I remember liking that one. Off the bat I thought i was gonna like it a lot but by the end I kind of lost interest 3.5

Listened Before? N I am familiar with Portishead from their earlier works, and knew someone in the past who exposed me to them. This album is okay. They're really not up my alley, but I can appreciate it. Good production quality, writing, and performance. Added to Library? N Song added to playlist: Hunter

Remember that episode of Friends, where Ross is playing his "soundscapes" for everyone? "It's about communicating very private emotions...You should think of my work as wordless sound poems". That episode? Hilarious. This album...well, there are words. The album opens with some deep lyrics in Portuguese - you have to learn this lesson. Not what one wants to hear when starting an album. Remember when Ray told me to kick off my shoes? Thanks, Ray. Portishead, on the other hand, told me to lace up my combat boots and get dark and brooding, Lego Batman style. Now, a few important statements - I love Halloween. I love 90s paranormal TV shows (would love to see Buffy team up with Alanis to kick that last guy's ass). I love female vocalists. I love the dark, goth versions of Enya that you hear in the background of 90's paranormal TV shows. So, what does all this mean for Third? Well, if I thought of it as a female-led goth Halloween show background soundtrack, I kind of liked it. It was creepy. It was spooky. It was all together kooky. Does this mean I want to listen to this on the way to work in the morning? Not really. But a quick Wikipedia search shows that Portishead was one of the first groups to do the Emo-Enya thing. And since I like the background music in 90s paranormal TV shows, that earns them a 3 from me.

How excited I was for a Portishead album! But this is not the one I wanted. This is fine, I mean, but it's like when you ask the server for your second refill of cherry coke, and they come back with hot tea.

Very mediocre.

Gave this a few spins when it came out but didn't quite land for me, and I haven't been back until today. I think it started with them just cutting off the really great opening track as soon as it really gets cracking. Feels like setting out to make it an uncomfortable record to listen to for no good reason. Not many of the following tracks do anything much for me, not like the 1st two albums. Nice little motorik bit on The Rip. We Carry On is the standout track for me, absolute monster. Machine Gun is certainly arresting and interesting, do I want to listen to it much? I'm not sure. In fact, I could say the same of the entire album. I much preferred the Beth Gibbons and Rustin Man record from a few years earlier.

Initial confusion as I know that this is a British band, but the first track opens with spoken text in Brazilian Portuguese (as I am British but live in Brazil, this rather suprised me). The designation as trip-hop is misleading to those who don't know the style as it has absolutely no relation whatsoever to hip-hip, being more an updated version of acid-jazz. It is interesting, but listening to the whole album in one go is too wearing. Best taken in small doses. I got through eight tracks before I had to take a break

It's like 50/50 good/bad. I want to like it but then each good song is followed up by super meh. Maybe I'm not the demographic anymore. 2.5

I was curious to know where Portishead would go in the 15 years since their album I had heard previously. I initially felt some promise and excitement as I found the sound of this album intriguing and cool. However, as it dragged on it felt both ponderous and uneasy, as though I'd been slipped a mickey and was struggling to fight its effects.

This was a bit off the mark for me, and I was disappointed in that. There were some captivating moments, but they did not really last...and then there were quite a few grating moments.

Nice and ethereal background stuff again. Nice.

Gloomy and dirgey, maybe a bit dark for a summer's day

Love their first album, but this was a bit more of a challenging listen, and i just couldn't really get into it.

3.5

If you've got Dummy, you're sorted.

Generally listenable. Would do it again. Not sure there's much more I can add.

I wanted to like this album and some of it I really did enjoy. Some of it however I just can't get behind. I think that is the genre breakdown within the album, the experimental and psychedelic rock sides of it are great the electronica is where it loses me. I'm just conflicted on how to rate it probably needs more listens to appreciate it or hate it more.

Got a little bored but very cool