Third

There's lots of ground for more than Gibbons's voice to grow. While it remains a unique project, Third lacks the placiness of Portishead's earlier efforts.

Dull

Very chill sounding album

After excitedly waiting what felt like years for this album to come out when it finally came out it was a bit of a let down. I remember discussing it with a friend after I'd brought it and lent her the CD, never bothering to get it back. It just doesn't feel like an evolution from Dummy 14 years earlier and music, especially lad back trip hop electronica had moved on. Listening to it again after another 14 years it is unquestionably a good album but I am still just not that excited by it? PS: suddenly halting the songs mid note was a @#&*ing terrible idea and not clever like the band throught it would be

I think the smokey, atmospheric nature of this album would be great for listening if you're in a certain mood, so the fact that I listened to this during late morning on a work day probably wasn't the best occasion for the initial listen. So it's a "3" during the day, probably a "4" at night.

pretty good electronic sound.

This was nice background music to listen to while working.

Not as good as Dummy. Some of it was solid, some a bit dull. I probably need to engage with it more. I don't think I gave it quite a fair shake today as I wasn't particularly receptive to this style of music today. I'm giving it a 3 for now I guess. I will almost certainly give it a fairer assement at a later date.

Dummy is one of my all time favourite albums. Despite this I hadn’t really listened to this. It is probably suffering from huge expectations that I’m placing on it but this was a disappointment. It’s not bad but it’s not an amazing. No real stand out tracks for me.

A lot of the same trance-y, etherial qualities of the earlier stuff but just didn't hold the same punch. Wasn't listening critically here but just felt watered down. Still decent.

First listen through was great, the second wasn't the same. Has a dark and moody atmosphere that suits a cloudy day. Silence and The Rip were my favourites here to play. The singles Magic Doors and Machine Gun were okay. The album itself is alright, but goes on a bit too long. Good rhythms and beats are found plus the vocals here are strong. Just trim a couple of songs and it would be a stronger set. Or even cut some out, then Third would be a threat.

Good but not really my bag

Very cinematic but something I will revisit. Maybe Dummy and Glorybox were of their time. This sounds a bit clunky to me.

Not sure why this album is in here. I don’t think it’s their best.

This album was really a mixed bag. I was hoping for some nice triphop and then quickly disappointed. Then after a couple of songs of not really feeling this aIbum, it started to grow on me. I really loved The Rip. But then I started to feel like I've had enough of this album again. It's honestly sort of depressing in the way it drags you down as it slogs along. The best parts of this album are 4.5 stars for me, the worst parts of this album 2 stars.

there was a girl whispering the whole time but it had one good bop in there

They seem into but but trap is not my thing

It's ok. There are just much better synth/doom albums. Some good songs but overall not enough variety for me.

Some of the sound effects were grating but otherwise I enjoyed this album. Prolly under Dummy

Rating: 5/10

-"Silence" is not silence smh -Some very Black Sabbath sounding notes in "Hunter" -Why is "Small" silent for like 3 minutes I literally checked did it was paused like 5 times -The synth riff in "The Rip" sounds like "We're Finally Landing" by Home, which is the song Summoning Salt uses in his videos -"Plastic" seems like a relatively strong song out of these. The cool drum fills and swooshy back and forth sounds and big bass-y synth are all solid. -The drums in "We Carry On" really help change the feel of the song even if the rest of the song is relatively similar to the rest of the album. Just the chugging drums behind it make it seem more stressed or maybe scared than relaxed -"Machine Gun" is also a lot cooler with it's drumline as well -This album was probably gonna be a 2 but "The Rip," "Plastic," "We Carry On," and "Machine Gun" saved it. The first half or so of the album was incredibly boring

Ok album, but a far cry from the pure excellence of Portishead’s first 2 albums.

Surprisingly good Achei que tinha colocado o álbum errado quando o cara começou a falar em português kkkkkkk

not the strongest 2.9

Gloomy, paranoid and sullen. A perfect album for a similar mood.

Was alright, loved the portuguese at the beginning

Meh. Not my thing. Well written songs. Didn't love or hate it.

It was funky!

Didn't love it. Didn't hate it.

I normally like Portishead pretty well. Apparently I like older albums more than newer, but this one was alright enough for me to listen to again. It's still electronic ambient, mostly, but more experimental than my caters to my taste. 3 stars.

3.5

Heeft wel een paar goeie nummers

Ein merkwürdiges Album. Irgendwo zwischen elektronischem Bombardement von Beats auf einem Wandteppich aus renaissanceartigem Gesang. War auch irritiert als 2-3 Songs einfach abrupt enden. (6/10) Favourite Tracks: Hunter, The Rip

De muziek is weinig bijzonder. Beetje drum-and-bass ritme met af en toe een akkoord. Soms, heel soms een beetje een "Ennio" of "Kill Bill" gevoel. Zang is redelijk, maar beetje vermoeiend om naar te luisteren. Het begin van Deep Water is zelfs zo vals als een zieke hond. Heerlijke muziek als je vroeger naar "de mat" of naar "de zig" ging. Op dit moment val ik echter in slaap op mijn werk. Ik begin bijna de reclame van Spotify interessant te vinden. Hee, daar is dan toch ineens een interessant riedeltje (The Rip). Beste lekker "elektro" nummer eigenlijk. Dat wordt meteen een sterretje meer!

Fijn album, zeker niet het beste van Portishead.

I really liked Machine gun but didn't really rate the rest

Portishead's latest record, and perhaps the final as it has been 13 years, goes further in experimental rock, with Krautrock's hypnotic rhythyms and ambient influences. Here, I must admit that I dislike the lead vocals on most tracks, when they are too isolated, dreamy and hypnotic. However, the instrumentals with searing synth leads and punchy synth-brass are so extremely good in some tracks that they make them enjoyable. Examples being The Rip, Plastic, Machine Gun, Magic Doors and Threads. A 3/5 is therefore deserved.

Spooky vibe to it. I like the tone and the style. A mix up of good and soft vocals and electronica. Interesting and certainly unique or at least for that time.

I love the vibe and instrumentals of Portishead, but the vocals are a bit grating to me, much in the same way Bjork's voice irritates me. Even though I don't necessarily like the vocals, I can appreciate the Avant Garde nature of them.

Lightweight Bjork/ Radiohead vibes. Would be good nighttime driving music.

Special, aber cool

Nicht schlecht und ohne Elektro wäre es meins

Eu achava que já tinha ouvido mas a fala em português no começo provou que não. Bem pior que o segundo que é pior que o primeiro.

kind of quiet, atmospheric electronica so-so probably improves with more listens didn't like the singer so much, but the sound is ok 3/5

Fine. Not as amazing as in the nineties.

Good enough but lacked the emotional connection of Dummy. Apparently lightning does not strike twice. Disappointed overall due to expectations.

Some nice stuff, but on the whole not one I'd want in my collection.

It's ok

Some of it is a little hard to listen to, but it's not bad

3/5

Ecléctico. Hay que saber escucharlo

J’aime mais j’ai eu trop de distraction en l’ecoutant , a reecouter. 3.5

Electrónica. No del todo mal.

Creo que no aporta nada nuevo a lo que conocemos de Portishead, no hay un Misterons, All Mine, etc. Se clavan mucho con el uso de Distor y sonidos de peliculade terror de los 50s

nesten fire stjerner. Syntes hele sullamitten var litt lang. Fint stilmessig, gøyalt med blandingen ambience og dance. Klager ikke på de tekniske komponentene, produksjonen virker sylskarp, men blir noe mutt i lengden. Mangler en rød tråd, eller noe som virkelig bryter den noe kjedelige kontinuiteten. Kanskje ikke overraskende at "The Rip" var platas høydepunkt og beste låt.

This album immediately grabbed my interest right out of the gate. I had listened to tracks from this band from a past album, and the intro track really set my hopes high. Ultimately, there were several tracks that delivered, but what derailed the album for me was that several obnoxious "washing machine" measures were scattered amongst this otherwise hauntingly beautiful album. I would be flowing with the music only to be jarred out of the vibe with the various parts throughout. It may be something that would ease after a few listens, but it cost them a couple of stars after one listen.

Not bad, but not really my style.

Les voy a ser bien franco: me gusta más este álbum reimaginado por el noisefloor crew

Just not for me.

Interesting, I guess?

Was ok, probably need more listens

Never listened to them at all or even knew what genres they covered. Unique soundscapes, not bad!

I enjoyed the song the big sky

Portishead is just SO sad. It's almost unbearable at times. Like when I need something really sad, I might come back to this, but it's not even peaceful to me, just sad. That said, it's very well done and I'm sure it deserves a 3.

okay

Pretty good but forgettable. Not as good as their album "Dummy" but still decent. I think for me it's a modest 4/10

New to me and super stuff, towards the top of the 2 stars. Tom.

Oh no, I didn't like the first one of these. Why are there two? This right here is a band whose aesthetic ruins their style. They're too committed to some 'goth, theater kid who acts depressed as a fashion statement' kind of thing. Beyond that, they're good. But it's just so overbearing that it's hard to get past. This album is somewhat more interesting than the last one. I like the surprise shifts in texture and tempo. I like the little electronic touches being thrown in here and there (and then disappearing never to be seen or heard from again). I do really like the instrumentals but still can't deal with the vocals. Just sounds like someone whining with a piercing, warbling quality. Sorry (I guess), this voice just hits my brain and makes me wince (and then rage). I just want her to shut up so I can enjoy the music, but she doesn't. Her voice is so painful; my god why. Stand-out track(s): Hunter, Machine Gun, Small (when the vocalist isn't ruining them).

Another 2.. Why. Why was this on here.

It's alright...feels overly long for a 49-minute album. We already got "Dummy" on the list - this wasn't totally necessary, IMO.

Less boring than Portishead's other offerings. Other reviews say this is spooky and uncomfortable, all that I can say is that it's impossible to imagine listening to this for pleasure. I did say that their other album on this list, Dummy, was full of tracks which were used as bedding in TV and radio, something that Third runs no risk of. However, Third is still not great, and its inclusion on this list means that Portishead has two-thirds of their discography represented.

This Portishead album is rough. I love their Dummy album, but this album was a struggle

This album is great if you don't like music.

Wasn't really for me

Portishead sucks balls

this was interesting, very little words and soft? yet loud?

Wasn’t for me I was able to take a song or two but I’m probably not gonna remember this album in T -3 days yup already forgot

I find a lot of this really hard to get through. "We Carry On" was a highlight. There were many lowlights.

Too weird for me.

You never forget your first one; however, having listened to some truly awful albums since, I find this one is only bad.

Very intense. Almost too much so!

Pick a tempo and stick with it, please. Just when I settle into a track that seems like I might actually enjoy, Portishead abruptly changes gears. I’m not entirely convinced there’s much enjoyment to be found on this album when the band seems so intent on messing with its own listeners. If anxiety and unease were given physical form, they’d sound a lot like Portishead’s Third. Several songs on Third pulled me into a groove and had me ready for a smooth, mellow ride, only to suddenly slam on the brakes and veer in a completely different direction. More often than not, those shifts ruined whatever mood the song had built. And it’s frustrating because, at least to me, this album seemed to have a lot of potential. It was just wasted on whatever mushrooms the band decided to consume before laying down the final tracks. Listening to this album felt less like a rewarding experience and more like a form of musical torture.

Disappointing considering the brilliance of Dummy.

The experimental sounds weren't really it for me, I was expecting good things but this came as a let down

Portishead created a sound that is copied to this day, and this album has beats, loops and glitches and good as anything they have done. I just couldn't get into the melodies.

not half bad.

I love their live album at the Roseland but I just couldn’t connect to this one. Struggled with it

I don't think the genre is for me

It's just very boring

Portishead is nothing if not consistent. So if you like Portishead, then you’ll enjoy this one. I do not enjoy Portishead.

Intriguing, but inaccessible. Not going to want to revisit this one.

It's like the worst instrumental Bond theme on repeat and without any payoff.

Third is clearly the work of serious artists making uncompromising choices, and the eleven-year gap before its release only deepened the commitment to difficulty. This is not the smoky trip-hop of Portishead’s earlier records — it’s industrial, abrasive, and deliberately unsettling in ways that reward listeners who want to be challenged and alienate those who don’t. Falling firmly in the latter camp is not a judgment about the record’s ambition. It’s just honest. “Deep Water” is the exception and the accidental argument against everything surrounding it. Gibbons’ voice over a ukulele, stripped of every production layer that makes the rest of the record so hard to inhabit — it’s genuinely moving, a brief window into what this album might have been with more moments of that kind of human directness. It lands as the highlight precisely because it gets out of its own way. Then “Machine Gun” arrives. That motorik drum pattern hammering relentlessly underneath Gibbons’ fractured vocals creates a disconnect that’s clearly intentional — the voice barely holding on over something completely indifferent to her distress. For some listeners that contrast is devastating. Here it just creates distance rather than tension, and the record never quite recovers from it as a listening experience. Respected, not enjoyed. A 2 that fully acknowledges the craft while being honest about the complete absence of personal connection.

very mysterious

Not really my thing. There's some interesting ideas musically, and the ambient style is somewhat unique. But for me, this just lacks much else that interests me. The vocals are nice, not outstanding but nice. I like weird music so I hoped I would like this more, but just didn't speak to me. I find trying to differentiate the songs quite difficult, they all sound very similar and lack much repetition. Fav track: The Rip

Oh Jesus, I hated this. Like, I get what they thought they were doing. But it was truly unpleasant to listen to. Miss the original style. This was aggressively not that.

Not my favorite Portishead. A little abrasive at times.

I don’t find anything to dislike but also did not really take to this album - although I like techno. The Tori Amos atmosphere had a draw but overall I was not compelled to listen again or think about it.

Olipa taas erikoista ⭐️⭐️

Mielelläni kuuntelen vähän perinteisempiä harmonioita.

Listened to this on a Friday and by the time I'm writing this on Monday morning, I've mostly forgotten it. I know I was thinking that I didn't enjoy it as much as the first Portishead album we had, and that it was a little strange.

Yawn

when portishead is good, they are AWESOME, but the rest is quite disappointing

I just didnt connect with this album at all, it wasnt really bad or anything i just didnt really like it. The sound was quite droney/distorted, the vibe is moody and dark with an electric sound. Idk just wasnt really a fan and not enjoyable for me. I felt like it could of used more of drop in the songs, it felt like it was setting up for a hardcore chorus with more of punch but it never happend and had the same tempo throughout most of the songs. It didnt provide a lot of variation.

So they dropped the Hop and zeroed in on the Trip? Too bad. I liked this band previously. Now, not so much. I found the voice stood out more than becoming woven into the song, and this is not pleasing to my ear. Too Electronica leaning for me. I did dig We Carry On.

It started out strong, but quickly faded to a snooze.

A rare 2 from Charlie. Maybe it's just the day I'm having, but I didn't enjoy this even a little bit.

I didn’t care for this. I had it in my mind that this was going to be something I’d like so think I had high expectations and what I got was not what I wanted at all.

What a slog

I found it weird. And it seemed to be trying hard to be Radiohead

Nowhere near as iconic as Dummy.

I don’t like Portishead

Dissonance and soundscapes in a number of the tracks is triggering for tinnitus, sorry can't get into this at all.

Kind of different and interesting, but not really that good. Well produced but only Machine Gun really holds up as an engaging song for me.

Me gusta Portishead, pero este disco está aburridísimo.

Ouch. Dissonance. Miscued soundtrack before production. Not for these ears.

To The Author, you sure like the stuff from Jolly Ol' England, don'tcha!? This album never made a ripple in the states. Dark, dreary, brooding, bit boring, disjointed, not as good as their debut, too long, no payoff. Impressive listener counts, though I've never heard a single one of these songs on the radio or in a movie. 60M for "The Rip", it takes 3mins for that song to go from 1st gear to 2nd, but it escapes me why 60M people would give up 5 mins of their lives to listen to it. Every other song between 4M-11M listens. "Plastic" was dreadful. "Deep Water" was meant for the cutting room floor. "Threads" was depressing. 2 stars, nothing worth listening to twice. Not a smile for miles around on this one, jeez, bust out the razorblades!

Did not make a huge impression on me. Probably wouldn't listen again. Acoustic-electronic. Contemplative and poetic, lyrical.

I really did find this interesting and enjoyed parts of it quite a bit. I would probably give it a 2.5.

Not for me too noisy

Not a big fan

Like a slower alternative album. Kind of boring

annoying.

OMG la sélection d’album des années 2000+ est vraiment rough avec le recul, j’ai eu de la misère à passer à travers celui-là. J’étais peut-être pas dans le meilleur mood pour, pis ça ressemblait pas mal à du Björk que je suis pas capable d’approcher avec un pôle de 10 mètres.

Not my cup of tea.

This was not great. Wishy-washy vocals. Irritating sound effects (Machine Gun made my ears hurt!). I grew up with industrial music, but this was just too mopey for my tastes. I think I totally missed the point of this or I'm just not cool enough for it. Whatever. It seemed to drag.

I want to rename this album “Amber alert phone alarm with occasional melody”

Boring!

Odd mix of sounds. Maybe it needs a re-listen

I just discovered I don't like Portishead.

Decent album. In total musically with some sparks especially when the guitar is involved ("The Rip", "We Carry On") but vocally not always my favour. worst: "Machine Gun" 2,5

The album of anxiety and dread.

Fever dream

2 Echt unieke sound. Ik was verbaast om te merken dat het mij wel intrigeerde, wel niet meer dan dat tho. (Also 'Plastic' is echt een massief raar nummer)

don’t think this is for me massively, quite boring but very intense at the same time?

The high voice reminds me of Bjork, whom I don't care for.

I have to agree with the reviews that said this sounded like impending danger and a soundtrack for anxiety. They feel pretty spot on. Definitely a unique sonic soundscape here, but not really my jam

Third voelt bewust ongemakkelijk en experimenteel. Hoewel ik de sfeer en intentie waardeer, merk ik dat het me weinig houvast geeft en dat ik snel afdwaal tijdens het luisteren. Interessant als kunstwerk, maar geen album waar ik emotioneel in kan zakken of naar teruggrijp.

Yawn. This is a long dentist appointment.

Overall Rating: 5.8/10 Favorite Song: Magic Doors

The lead singer reminds me of Kate Bush and this music seems to kind of be in that same vein. This isn't my kind of thing but some of it was somewhat listenable.

Saved Ian Danskin during the pandemic. Couldn't save me during a metro ride.

Nary a melody to be found. Horribly dissonant and boring.

Not a portishead fan. Unusually I like this type of music but this women just does not do anything for me.

Interesting, though almost wholly unpleasant. I did like "The Rip." This album could provide some solid ambiance in an unsettling scene in a movie, but personally I don't think I'd ever pop it on again.

11 years after their previously last album, Portishead released this, promising the next album wouldn't take that long. Over 17 years later and there's every chance Third could have also been correctly titled Last. It's quite the departure from their previous work. It's my least listened-to Portishead album, and with over 17 years between its release and me writing this review, I can finally say that the reason is simply that it is their least compelling album. It's Anxiety Attack - The Soundtrack. A huge, menacing, cold block of cold, hard steel that drags you in while always remaining impenetrable, keeping everything and everybody outside. If Stanley Kubrick hadn't already found the perfect soundtrack for the monolith in 2001... this album would be the perfect alternative. Geoff Barrow recently said that he's shocked by the notion that anybody would have sex to the first two Portishead albums in particular. I dare anybody to actually have sex to Third without being on some kind of Leaving Las Vegas-level mix of uppers, downers, antidepressants, and whatnot in their system.

Portishead had one or two cool songs in the 90’s and they were super unique but I’m afraid they’ve aged like milk. This is pretty terrible.

I can’t stand the whispering singing. I hate that. But the music itself is interesting, unique, and a bit strange.

I discovered through the 1001, that I’m not a Triphop guy, which is funny because I like psychedelic rock. It’s not that I didn’t necessarily like this album. I just had a hard time getting into it. The two songs I was able to grasp respond to were We Carry On and Deep Water. But I think my problem is most of these songs feel like they’re building to something and that never comes. It almost feels like it should be part of a movie soundtrack for a Studio A24 film where the door closes, the screen goes black while the music and the credits play. Give me an ending please. If I wanted a dead end answer and lack of emotion, I would ask my family what they want to dinner….

Started out ok, then just lost interest. The vocals were not great and the sounds just got very weird.

Lost interest

Really boring. Really felt like they were trying super hard to come across as tortured artists and it was just kinda wimpy and annoying. Didn't really enjoy anything here.

Too much experimental, not enough rock.

Radiohead Jr.

Any time I'm feeling too happy and satisfied, I feel this album will give me just the right amount of existential dread to snap me right out of it. According to the wiki writeup, after their second album one of the band members lost interest in music. It took over a decade for him to come back to make this. While this band is very talented and the album is well produced, I have a hard time thinking of this music as something I would ever be in the mood to listen to. It's a bit too depressing for me. Favorite song: Nylon Smile

Jura? 3 estrelas e é muito

Definitely not my thing. Lots of droning soundscapes.

I already liked the song "Threads," but listening to the whole album is overwhelming. After two songs, you just say: enough is enough!

I like her voice but cant hear much of what she's actually singing. Not a fan overall.

Don't get it

This was fun but also a bit stressful.

Vähän liian erikoismenoa itselleni. Jopa vähän jänniä soundeja. Ihan hienoa laulua, mutta siihen se sitten jää. Ihan jeppis kertakuuntelulla, mutta tuskin tulee tähän palattua enää koskaan.

Liked this a lot less than their other two albums. Not as melodic, vocals overall not as pleasing.

Had a few moments of enjoyment, but was overall an unpleasant listen. Music can be a lot of things, but melody and harmony are the bare minimum and this doesn’t have much of them.

Mid compared to others

Overall, pretty chill album, nothing too exciting, but also nothing too bad. I would say that it was alright having in the background while I was doing other stuff, but it's a bit too slow for more exciting activities.

I like this band, but this is awful.

I didn’t love this, but I didn’t hate it… Ultimately this album was not for me, as I would not listen again, would not recommend, and was ready for it to be over well before it actually was.

Snore

My first trip-hop, apparently! Love the songs that sound like the James Bond, Twin Peaks, and Stranger Things themes, the others, not so much. Curious about other bands in the genre.

I did not like this album. I really didn't find any part of this enjoyable. I didn't like the singing or the instrumentation

If someone were to come up to me and say "Hey James, you should really listen to this album before you die its soooo good." I'd prank them back by sending them 12 glitter bombs in the mail. I wish the full album had the vibe of 'The Rip', the synth melodies were super dope and layered on top of each other. The singers style worked well here and felt like it belonged. For most of the rest of the album I wished there were no vocals, she tanked it hard. At other times, the instrumentation wasnt doing anything pleasant either. Also, the one random ukulele song in the middle of the album?! Interesting choice, I would like to know the thought process around that one. 4/10

Some more slow, eerie songs from the head of the Portis. Not as strong as their debut, a little too soft. There was doo-wop on this album? I missed that track I guess. Top one that stood out was "The Rip" with the rest decent but didn't leave a lasting impression. I like this band but the records require a certain mood for play. 2.2 stars for their Third one.

I didn't quite connect with Third the way I did with Dummy. It has some cool segments and pretty wide range of tracks some of which I enjoyed. It's eerie and uncomfortable at times which I imagine they were going for but it was a little too all over the place for me to maintain any momentum. I get that Portishead likes to mix it up quite a bit, but Third almost seems to be experimental just for the sake of being experimental. They pushed the envelope a little too far. I put this is the same realm of auteur movie director who establishes their unique style, but after too many visits to the well they seem to be doing inane things just to show how out of the box they can be. This got too close to being up its own Portishead butt for me. 1.87 stars

Portsihead aren’t as whiny as Radiohead, but it’s a close run thing. I like Machine Gun, but can take or leave the rest.

This has some commonalities with music I like a lot by Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails, but not enough to make me like it.

2/5 - This is a really challenging listen. It gives me the same feeling as going to view modern art — I have no idea what’s happening other than occasionally noticing something cool; I know some people are way into it, and I’d rather just be doing something else with my time.

too much noise… makes me want a bumper sticker that reads: “i took too much acid at the Portishead show and now i think my car is a hamburger” or some shit like that. most boring album i’ve heard in a minute.

This album was SO. FUCKING. BORING! There was maybe… 2 songs that made me perk up and pay attention, but the rest had me falling asleep ON MY DOG WALK. BUT!, at least it wasn’t KISS’s 1998 suicide inducing studio album “Psycho Circus”. 😅

I didn't understand this one much. Odd mix of sounds and super dark. 3/10

This is really not my kind of music, is way too experimental for me.

Album 915 of 1089 Portishead - Third (2008) Rating : 1.5 / 5 It’s classified as electronica, but offers up more of a spooky vibe with its vocals and instrumentation. That said, it’s void of much melody, and for me it was another half-hearted listen in this genre. I’ll admit I’m getting a little tired of the steady diet of electronica, but it’s part of the project so I keep at it. I’ve heard worse in this style, I suppose, but this one still didn’t give me much to hold onto.

Portishead’s Third is like leftover seafood—edible at first, but the longer you stick with it, the sicker you get. By the end it’s less music, more food poisoning.

Boring record with annoying vocals.

Pretty mid

My enjoyment of each song on this album was inversely promotional to how moody and industrial it sounded.

det var någon låt som gjorde att betyget gick upp men i övrigt kass. konstig elektronisk mög

I found this incredibly unappealing. Not for me at all. Favorites: None Would I listen to it again: No

Was a solid 3 stars but it started getting really annoying!

I’ve tried to get into Portishead many times but never really manage to. This was probably my least favorite album of those I’ve heard. This record can be summed up in a few words: ”Moaning to sad ambience”. That’s kind of how this record feels. Even though ’Machine Gun’ had an almost trancelike beat to it, the rest is quite boring. No interesting melodies or things happening in the songs. Just the singer’s moaning to some mellow music. The record could probably have scraped together more points if it was completely instrumental.

I thought this was going to start out like the Virgin Suicides soundtrack, but then it took a different direction. It has slower paced songs with a beautiful voice but the production had a lot of clanky sounds. It made for some interesting faces when I was listening on my long drive thinking my car was falling apart. It may suit a certain introspective mood. Not for me and especially not while driving.

This was one of the more musically interesting albums I've gotten recently. It was more unique in style, composition, instrumentation, and arrangement than most of what I've been recommended on here. A lot of it just felt like noise, though. I found it to have some good parts, but otherwise it didn't really strike me as all that good. I wonder if I'd have a better grasp on this album if this list were more diverse. So many rock/pop albums come up on here, that it's a bit hard to separate them from something like this. The closest comparison I have from my recent listening in the Barry Adamson record a few weeks ago. I wouldn't call it a straight comparison, but it was a change-up similar to this one. I did like that album more than this, for what it's worth. I'm not sure what the main issue here was. It was interesting, but not in a way that required my attention. It was eclectic in a controlled manner, but not in a pleasant one. The vocals meshed well with the music, but not in a way that really made it better. It also felt like it ran long, even though it wasn't really all that lengthy. I felt relieved when it ended, which isn't a good sign. [Side note- I recently went to a show and the opener was a band called Dummy. Their sound kind of reminded me of this. Looking at the Wiki, Portishead's previous album was called Dummy. I'm guessing that wasn't a coincidence. Not sure which band I liked less, though I'm not inclined to listen to either again.] I'll give this credit for being different and changing things up in a refreshing way. I can't say a lot more that's positive about it, though. It had some good parts mixed in, but for me, the rest was only OK to bad. Overall: 2.3/5

I remember enjoying the album "Dummy." It was... for a better word, slinky. This I did not enjoy. I felt like the singer was trying too hard to be Kate Bush, and have even weirder stuff behind her. There have been times when I wonder why the author selected the albums that he did for this list. One Portishead album was great. You put two in there, and I am just left scratching my head. NEXT.

“We Carry On” was the only highlight for me and to be followed by “Deep Water” was such a disappointment.

Not a patch on Dummy. We Carry On is sublime, but the rest is pretty bland.

Does a reasonable job of generating a mood of doom 'n' gloom out of simple repeating patterns but nothing really rises to the level of a memorable hook. Vocal melodies seem practically interchangeable from song to song.

Mijn favoriet: Master of Puppets Niet helemaal mijn muziek. Orion was ook gewoon allen maar instrumenteel.

Kind of funky, experimental jazz. Would fit in well in an A23 film with a lot of cinematic shots and people looking sad. Gave the affect of brown noise, left my brain feeling very relaxed. Unfortunately, not really for me Best track: The Rip

Not a fan.

Not their best. Dragged a bit.

⭐️⭐️.5/5. Not my cup of tea, but at least this is experimental music I can LISTEN to. It’s still challenging and uncomfortable, but there is a rhythm to it, unlike some others on this list.

The record felt like an exploration I don’t think I’d go on again. It feels like a journey through bad sounds, but pretty cool lyrics.

Boring. I just don’t get the appeal of Portishead. They seem to have many fans! But I find them mopey and slow and I can’t distinguish any of their songs except the mopey and slow “nobody loves me” song. They have no hooks. It’s just dull sombersound all the way. Pass.

Boring as fuck. Who can listen to this slow crap?

Today I learned Trip Hop is a genre. Not my thing.

I thought I liked portishead so was looking forward to this album, especially because this challenge seems to be on a roll of sending me albums that have been painful to get through. This album was no exception. Turns out I may only like their first album! Fuck that noise - literally!

Not very good

This is such a boring album. Holy moly.

Kind of interesting 2.5-3

I have never heard of Portishead and upon listening I was not overly impressed. The music is okay but I’m not a huge electronic music fan. There are some bright spots but overall the album seems very dreary. I found a few songs I would listen to again but overall I don’t think I would listen to the full album ever again. Favorites are “Magic Doors” and “We Carry On”

Terrible, grating to my ears. Got 75% of the way through and I just can’t. Get this might be an unpopular opinion considering the play counts. Not for me.

I have always liked the instrumentals of Portishead but the half crying shaky voice singing of the lead has just ruined their music for me. Her voice comes close to nails on chalkboard and borders of infuriating to listen to. 4/10

Christ almighty. I actually know a person that likes and makes this type of garbage music. Maybe liking this is a reflection of extremely dulled senses from too much cocaine use, permitting only the most vile atrocities of the ear to strike the person's interest. Fuck me. 2/5, but only because it's not flat-earth level stupid. Fucking WHY?! jesus christ

< the Beatles Part of the Wikipedia about this album is that Geoff Barrow became uninterested in music... And I think that describes this album.

Yawn. Looking back over my history, I see that I didn't mind Dummy, but this one was like watching the grass grow.

wouldn’t go back to this unless i were a dj to remix something or someone in charge of choosing soundtracks for dark scenes in a movie

It's a two-fer: boring *and* tedious.

'Third' represents a significant departure from Portishead's earlier two releases. Although it retains some trip-hop elements, the band largely shifted towards a sound characterized by experimental electronic music. Beth Gibbons delivers strong and often ethereal vocals, accompanied by a few notable hooks and rhythms. However, much of the album is filled with jarring and distracting sounds, resulting in an overall dissonance that detracts from an enjoyable listening experience. Considering the 11-year gap between albums, it seems obvious that Portishead reunited with the intention of creating something new. While I appreciate the effort and artistic intent behind the album, it ultimately does not resonate with me on any level.

Turns out, I am not a Portiahead fan. Like, at all.

This was a disorienting, anxiety-inducing listen. Songs seem to cut off abruptly, instrumentals feel all over the place, and the singing is pretty creepy. Feels like this skewed more towards the experimental side of things. I don't know, I just couldn't get into this one. I won't give it a 1, but feels more like a 2.

Beats are interesting but I can't quite hear the lyrics.

Def very Portishead 😅 -- too whiny/droning for my tastes. One of the few more modern albums on this list encountered so far.

This was one of my first albums I listened to on this project and I very much disliked it.

"Let's take our electronic instruments, where the possibilities are endless, and make absolutely no interesting sounds at all" - the writers of half the albums in this book, apparently

This frequently reminded me of one side of St. Vincent (though very blatantly missing the guitar virtuosity I love in her music) and even the one song I know by Massive Attack. Unfortunately, this is the only side shown on this album, and it is hard to stay engaged with it through its 49 minute runtime.

Not my choice of music

I didn't hate it but it just never grabbed me. Just kinda was.

Production: 3.5/5 Lyricism: 2/5 Sound: 1/5 Enjoyment: 2/5 Overall: 2.1/5

weird

Listened less than 24 hours ago, can't remember a thing about it.

too electronic

point9.

Was close to giving this one star. It’s a right load of old shite

weird and spooky, great arrangements, but some vocal work that really rides the line between being weird and being annoying

I am disappointed. I enjoyed "Dummy" very much but that one is not fun at all.

Anxious music

Some interesting ideas here, but at times I couldn't help but feel like this was more a demo than a studio album. I think there's probably some treasure here if you've got the time to dig for it among the rubble, but unfortunately, I only had time for two playthroughs today, and that wasn't enough to uncover the goods. Regardless, I think the weak vocals and "misery chick" vibe bring it down; so, it's a 2 for me.

I loved the first 2 portishead albums. This one is poor by comparison.

I get what the vibe was, just was not my vibe

Not a fan of this one and I like Portishead. Meh

Nowhere near their earlier work Can’t quite say why but it’s strangely forgettable

I really like Dummy and was looking forward to this album but I was shocked at how little I liked it. Where Dummy was a great trip hop album, this felt... I dunno, not good. It felt like shoegaze meets industrial with trip-hop vocals. Which is maybe the description of trip-hop. but this album didn't feel like a cohesive whole. 2.5, rounding down to 2 because I was so disappointed in comparison to Dummy Machine Gun was a great example of this - the music and her vocals just didn't gel at all

I’m not sure how I feel about this album. It’s not uninteresting to listen to, but it’s also not very exciting. It kind of feels like a video game soundtrack.

Meh.

I am sad and confused (never liked these guys much).

There is some decent stuff here but it's mostly a bit boring for me.

I like some of Portishead's stuff, but this album isn't high on that list....

Don't know what their First and Second were but their Third was an odd hodgepodge that I failed to connect with.

30/01/25 Portishead don't do it for me. I found the album quite boring.

Can't be doing with much of this one I'm afraid. Liked Dummy quite a lot at the time but I'll probably never reach for this one. Bleak

MIDDLE OF THE ROAD

I really just don’t think this was a necessary addition. I think it was bleh and I was passively listening to it.

Tiene letras que parecen profundas y que seguro merezcan un análisis, pero vocalmente e instrumentalmente el álbum suena bastante monótono; tanto que, de a ratos, aburre.

I didn't hate it, and I liked Machine Gun most of the songs. However, I wouldn't listen to it again.

OK, let's start with the fact that I cannot stand Portishead. But this time I tried to really listen to the album to figure out what was it that kmahes it so off-putting -- because I don't like atonal stuff to much, I don't think this is atonal. It's not exactly pretty but there are definitely interesting sounds in here. So after really immersing myself for a full album, I realize my dislike is entirely about the vocalist. And the morr ethereal she gets, the more I hate it. Her consonants tick like a person chewing in my ear; her melodies are fine but her delivery is affected and pretentious and, to my ears, ugly. At times when she is louder or more forceful (while still hardly ever singing with any real force at all), I find her singing more tolerable but still the worst part of everything in listening to. And finally, at times when she's not singing at all, I actually really like this music. I dig the electronic soundscapes, but just cannot get owe how much I dislike listening to the woman's voice on top of it.

didn't enjoy that much

2- kinda cool creepy ideas but most the album falls flat. Favorite song The rip

1st song is a great driving groove of a tune, followed by many songs of aimless singing melodies and droning electronic noises and beats nowhere near the groove, energy, and coolness of first song.

This album is frustrating. There’s some decent music surrounded by the most annoying noise imaginable.

Bleak with no redeeming qualities. Portishead can produce great tracks, but this is just a dud in every sense.

1,5

The first portishead album is probably top albums of all time for me. This wouldn’t hit the top 1000

Люблю эмбиентные попукивания, но эти попукивания меня утомили.

When will the enjoyable music appear on this list?

Never really been a big portishead fan. Their music is always kind of depressing in my opinion (no offense Adam - please don't unfriend me)

I normally like moody music, but this one wasn't for me. They used some really annoying sounds on We Carry On, Machine Gun and Magic Doors for example.

I agree with the guy who said it's the sound track of their anxiety...

Blind album, know the artist by name. Kinda disappointed here. Had glimmers but this dragged on in my opinion. No clue what happened but maybe I'm just in a bad mood from my shitty job.

I respect the experimental sound, but I don't like it. It's fine, they had already a banger album, doing something different is the only logical step.

Não me pegou.. Mas acho que é o tipo de música que eu gosto. Confuso, mas futuramente eu deva dar uma chance novamente

eita que chatice. "machine gun" é a única música que eu vi uma tentativa interessante e se sobressai.

Never heard this album. But I did own Portishead's first album (which is better than this one). That album is also on this list. Not bad experimental music but didn't resonate enough with me to pull me in. Not sure Portishead needs to be on this list at all, much less with 2 albums.

Correcto. Raro

more annoying than cool

Interesting compositions but overall not my thing.

Portishead is wel oké, maar deze moest er voor mij niet in. Dummy is genoeg (geweldig album trouwens). Dit album kende ik niet en hoefde ik na het luisteren ook niet per se te kennen. Klinkt soms oké, maar vooral een beetje repetitief en heeft niet de dark Portishead sound die ik graag hoor. 'T is eerder een Bon Iver remix van Portishead. 2.3

Didn’t have the impact of Dummy. A lil bland for my ears

I didn't expect this to be such a tough listen. Dummy was one of my favorite trip-hop style albums and I went in expecting something similar. Instead, there's basically an anxiety attack in album form. Atonal synths, heavy beats, and just LOUD. Not at all a pleasant listen. Pass.

Definitely did not expect the opening of the album in portuguese! Cool vibes, but a bit too abstract for my taste. Wouldn't listen to this often, but can definitely appreciate that it's good!

4.5

Liked this album a lot less than Dummy, I don't gel as well with this one. Instruments clash in unpleasant ways sometimes, can be grating sometimes. Machine Gun was a very cool song.

Lots of beeps, and bops-a bit too many, actually. It was definitely a unique experience, but at the same time, not a very enjoyable experience. I certainly hope "Third" isn't ranked their first best album. Favorite Song: "Nylon Smile".

Some of the production was cool, but I could not STAND the vocals. Overall, the project felt pretentious as hell. This was my 100th album and it was a let down lol. 2/5

Not nearly as good as Dummy. Some decent at times atmospheric music, but in my opinion not worth the listen.

Tedious more often than not

Random ambient noises gave this one a strange sound.

Honestly portishead is hard for me, idk im just not a huge fan. Couldn’t get through it. I can see why people like them but it’s just not for me

Trippy... It's really cool and maybe there's a few tracks in here for me to pull for a few playlists but honestly a lotta the album blends together. I appreciate the haze it puts me in its almost on the same level as Glass Animals. If I smoked this would be the soundtrack.

"trip hop", steady beats with some melody over top, not very interesting

Moody, interesting, but too gloomy and too weird for my liking

decent 2/5

It was right on the cusp of something I thought was amazing but it pushed it too far

It’s just too much trip hop on this thing ok. There should be a compilation and that’s it.

blehhhhh

Not for me. Didn't get it.

First 2albums are killer. Not this one.

Same song 11 times in a row. Not terrible but not worth listening too.

Damn I almost died of boredom ! A meager hope came with the last three songs, but did not manage to wake me up fully.

- sounds like if Bjork and Billie Eilish had a baby - better than Bjork tho at least the beats are cooler - 2.5

- kind of boring to me - she has a nice voice and there are some good moments -2.5