Reviews (page 10 of 15)
I have seen this band’s name for years and always thought it was ridiculous. This is a classic case of you can’t judge a book by it’s cover. Loved this. Will absolutely listen again. Really glad this one popped up because I never would have tried it on my own.
So cool. Like a soundtrack to a suspense noir movie
Never heard this all the way through before today, and this won't be the last time. Not necessarily chill out but necessarily cool nonetheless.
I'm not sure what I was expecting with this "trip hop" but my gosh, this is great! What a wonderful album, truly a unique sound. Some songs really blew my socks off--"Sour Times"? "It's a Fire"? Wow! Actually, "Glory Box" has a very Billie Holiday feel to it. Some other songs I didn't enjoy as much, but regardless I can't wait to listen to this album more and more.
Love this album. Bought it soon after it came out when I heard Glory Box. Played it only last week.
Going in I only knew Glory Box because my wife put that on a mix CD when we first started dating. I liked the song but never felt the need to check out the band further. I probably should have because this was a fun listen. Very relaxing in its way. I know next to nothing about the genre but I know what I like. Some songs were admittedly not as good as others but overall very good. I'd probably give it a 3.5 but the album made me think of my wonderful wife who I love dearly, so a 4 it is.
Really enjoyed some of the tracks, very unique
Good Album. I enjoyed it very much as some background tunes.
Classic sounds. Scratching sounds dated now but everything else flows together.
They seem to occupy their own genre, how do they do it?
Þessi er náttúrulega klassík, á hana á vínil og hef hlustað nokkrum sinnum en ekki nógu oft í rauninni. Ég er á því að þetta sé alveg hátt í 9/10 honestly, þó ég neyðist til að gefa henni 4 stjörnur.
Saved Prior: None Off Rip: Mysterons, Sour Times, It Could Be Sweet, Wandering Star, Numb Cutting Edge: None Overall Notes: Sexy, mysterious, opaque, slippery, entrancing, dangerous. There's a reason everyone calls this spy music. Would've been a 5 if I could remember how the songs went when they weren't playing, but I can already tell this album is going to have immense replay value. 4.5 (just) rounded down.
I got it 25 years after
YES!
Very much enjoyed the vibes. Ethereal and slow. Listened twice.
goat
Such a strange and mysterious album. Ethereal sounds that seem be from some alien beings. Strange and otherworldly and yet accessible and familiar. Now how do they do that. Now how exactly do they pull that off. Well Beth Orton's magnificent voice definitely helps in that regard. A wonderful album who's best moments / songs never fail to draw me in; 4 🌟
Solid
Very well-produced with a distinctive, unique sound. Sags a bit in the middle, but the dour, haunting singles make up for it. Much better than the town it's named after.
I like this. It's sad and moody and grimy and definitely makes me FEEL something. I appreciate the hell out of that.
Industrial sounds, jazzy and funky undertones funko pop
Had a weekend with loads of kids and early mornings at hockey rinks. I gave this a quick half listen so have nothing specific to say. It's really good.
I imagine if Sade’s dog died and she was tripping on downers she would sound like this. Most of the album is one note, very dark and moody, but hey if that note works why not stick with it eh? However The best songs IMO are the ones that deviate from the formula a bit: Glory Box and Sour times. They could lose the fake scratched vinyl sound though, it really dates the album. However it’s definitely well produced and performed, this record ain’t no Dummy.
I had heard this one before but never payed too much attention to it. That was a mistake. Album sounds exceptional, it has a style that can pretty much only be found here, and that is quite something on itslef. It feels like one of those albums you can get really invested on and listen over and over again. Definetely worth.
It’s good for what it is, but not my favorite. Sounds like the background of an edgy sad scene in a movie.
Killer beats. I imagine this album has been sampled more than a few times. The vocals were intense and emotional, but weren't necessarily for me.
Added!
Now this is more like it. Dummy has to be the Sgt. Pepper or Nevermind of Trip Hop albums. Proof that when everything comes together with just the right mix, the genre is listenable if not magical. I'm hoping when I go on my Björk run I'll learn this genre doesn't have to be so goddamn depressing. The vocals of one Beth Gibbons set this thing through the roof. Hers is the voice you want singing sad song lyrics. Your key tracks here are Sour Times and Glory Box. Both remain ubiquitous because there's nothing else quite like them.
I recall having heard of Portishead, but that was about it. At the start of the first song, I thought, "Oh, yes! I am going to love this!" Well, as it turns out, I mostly did. There were times I was hoping that there would be at least a slight shift in mood and tempo, but that is not what this album had in store for me. Instead I sat there in the groove craving a swanky smoked whiskey cocktail served over a single large iceball.
Talk about a moody album! This album could make a great movie soundtrack. “Sour Times” feels like it could be a theme for a James Bond movie. The same holds true for most of the songs on the album to some degree. I love the lead singer and the music. I really enjoyed listening to this twice and will listen again. It is particularly good as background music while I work or as music to relax to at the end of the day. It is filled with unique sounds and samples but is oh so smooth. It’s great that DUMMY has come to my attention, because I should be listening to more Portishead. I definitely understand why this album made the 1001 list.
Dreamy trip-hop, a 1990s classic.
Fantastic production. Sometimes the vocal performance was a little ham-fisted, which detracted for me 8/10
7/10. Kinda strange, sort of peaceful
I listened to this a lot when it came out, then it became omni-present, so I didn't need to keep the CD. I've not listened to it end-to-end since a few months after it came out. The foundations of trip-hop are here ... rolling drum samples, film noir strings, theremins, occasional twangy guitars, some lovely Fender Rhodes. Beautifully crafted, and very moody. Anguished, tender vocals. Sonically overall, it draws from Isaac Hayes' solo LPs , and his contrasts of space and lush instrumentation
This CD is always close-by and ready to be put in the deck. While one of my favs of that era, perhaps also a bit nostalgic for me personally for various personal reasons. It was unique and refreshing in the middle of grungevolution.
A good album, I have just personally overplayed it to the point of contempt
This album bangs. Not quite a perfect 5, but for production alone this album is a solid 4+. It took some getting used to but still- dark and spooky and wonderful. This album is what gen x based their entire personalities on
Brings back memories and still sounds great.
This was very enjoyable, just don't see myself re-listening. 4.2
Waren die blechern scheppernden Beats mit Absicht so gestaltet, damit Beth Gibbons Stimme noch perfekter klingt als perfekt? Oder soll damit, den Morricone Gitarren und verstaubten Scratches ein nicht zu verortender Zeit-Kolorit abgemischt werden? In jedem Fall ist es gelungen, einen Klassiker mit tränenverschmierten Kajal in den Äther zu pinseln. Trauerweidigste 4.4
Eigentlich ist das schon auch ziemlich guter HipHop. Also von den Beats her, natürlich nicht vom Gesang - aber die Beats: hört hin Leute, DIE sind das, weshalb das hier TripHop genannt wird. Trippy, mit schönen Samples bzw. direkt eingespielten singenden Sägen, Rhodeses und was sonst noch so schön traurig/psychedelisch/schaurig leiern kann. (Wieder-)Entdeckung für mich wäre It's A Fire, vor allem aber auch Biscuit Box. Für mich als Gesamtkunstwerk nicht ganz auf Flughöhe ihrer ebenfalls Bristoler Kollegen von Massive Attack, musikalisch aber auch nicht weit darunter.
Moody and dark and sexy
Familiar with the name but really but sure how I haven't really listened to them before? Loved this though!
gah, another 3.5. I'm not sure about leaning to a 4, but in comparison to some recent 3s I definitely like this more. I suppose these numeric ratings are always in a bit of flux and bound to be awarded within the context of what's been listened to recently.
Not sure I knew what Trip Hop was but I liked it. A bit dreamy?
Great, great, great album. Super chill but very intriguing. Loved it.
chill and funky.
Cool electronic music!
J'ai adoré cet album, pas trop le temps de commenter en ce moment, ne m'en tenez pas rigueur, les Jeux Olympiques sont extremement intenses en ce moment, et j'ai egalement besoin de prendre un peu mes distances avec rob pour reevaluer notre relation.
Much better than the previous Portishead album I had reviewers! Cool spy movie soundtrack vibes mixed with electronica hip hop jazz.
I knew and really liked some of the songs, others were a little whiny but not bad
ta golfo muy de xill
Pretty cool. Nice beats, sounds brand new. It could be sweet was fav
so about this album, def a nice one, roads is my favourite song of the album (and the one I already new), 2nd favourite is the first song (Mysterons). I do think the album got a bit same-y after a while (and most of their best songs are on another album imo)
Fantastic album, some real highlights and well know "hits" deffo have to be in a certain mood to listen to this but we'll worth it
Beautiful vocals carry intense emotions throughout the whole album. A bit slow for my tastes but I enjoyed it all.
Pretty 50/50 mix on mood; but, generally this album's good for a good cry. I skipped a few songs but also favorited a few. Great use of minimalism and sparse songwriting. Could be a David Lynch soundtrack.
Roads 👍
Had some absolute bangers in them
Me gusto mucho voz y sonido
nice
Rainy Sunday mood music <3
ну кстати самая годнота из пока что представленного чилла. томное настроение, интересные партии голоса, атмосферные мелодии. работа со звуком опять же. не заметил, как прозалипал весь день на повторе за работой. приятно, 8/10
More Soul and R&B influenced than I thought. Good, mellow trip-hop. Absolutely need to listen to this again, just not on a Monday. Direct link b/w this and burial
4.5/5 very good album, kudos!
Great album as good as i remember it
yay
☠💌🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🦐
The classics you all remember, and some other whispering moody vocals with sample-able groovy backing
I do remember listening to this album and a few songs in particular in the past, but it's not the sort of thing I would usually listen to. Really enjoyed the journey this time around though. Needs a certain mood I think, as with most music I suppose. Weird "spacey" kind of vibes, as expected. Very impessive production. Strangers was my standout despite the obvious big hitters on here. Though lots of interesting tracks with cool little interludes and different instruments coming in. It's a Fire and Roads are both lovely.
Always liked it, not quite in the right mood yesterday.
easy on the ears, nice album
4/5
Chill beats
Toffe muziek, genre kende ik nog niet en is heel eigen. Het nummer Glory Box komt me heel bekend voor en is echt tof.
Classic!
A nice album to relax and innovative for its time
buh
Finally a female vocalist! Though I'm not super blown away by this album. I've heard of the band before but not specifically listened to them. Because I heard the Sneaker Pimps first that's all I can think of when I listen to the album.
exquisito...
Genial, pero plano.
Ну мне нравится это альбом и я его только недавно переслушивал, ближе к 5
I really enjoyed this album! the lead singer's voice kind of has this breathy, Billie Holiday feel to it, and the music itself is damn good! well worth a few listen-to's, "Strangers" is definitely the best song on the album
Chillwave. Electronic but relaxed. Some songs remind me of the relaxing songs in Baby Driver. I looked and found that BOGA is who is in Baby Driver but they credit Portishead as starting the genre.
Wow couldn’t believe how much I liked this album. Beats were great and I could hear where a lot of artists sampled their work from.
Muy buen disco, fácil cuatro excelentes rolas que sigo escuchando hasta la fecha.
Held up quite well. I remembered this, but was never into it deeply. It’s worth going back to revisit.
Real spooky, perfect for an overcast and moody Friday. Very mysterious. Deep down dark almost on the 90s rave spectrum somewhere but not really. Would need several listens to get the full experience, headphones are a must.
I love this album Holds up great some 30 years later too! Want to give it a five since it’s not a 4 but it’s not gonna be my first 5 Wish there was a 4.5 rating
Incredible and moody.
I've heard this a bit before. This one is interesting, because I'm fairly certain I LimeWired just the song Pedestal by Portishead; don't know what led me to do that, but that song in particular is very stirring to me. I'll give 4 stars, this one's a fun listen.
classic
enjoyable, didn't finish
nice chill a bit depressing
I remember getting "Three" a while back and being kind of "meh" about it. I enjoyed this record quite a bit more. Reminds me of being in a smoky, sophisticated cocktail bar while a singer in a gorgeous dress preforms. Favorite tracks: "Strangers", "Wandering Star"
Oddly fun, a few popular songs I didn’t know where from this album, may revisit
Liker stemningen, men litt kjedelig
Fin, absolutt, men streit og snorkete. Svært tynn 3'er
It's not my style, I think it's kind of good, but it's not remarkable in my opinion, except for glorybox, this one gives me goosebumps. I would say that is a 6/10 album.
Am I horny or depressed?
I respect trip hop far more than I enjoy it, and I definitely appreciate how original this was as the time, and how genre defining it is in retrospect. At the time of it's release it was everywhere, and as a young punk it seemed weird, drugged out and spooky. Listening now what I'm mostly struck by is how obvious the influences are - film noir and spaghetti westerns, dub and underground hip hop - and how cohesive the vision is.
Prima, net iets te langzaam Love glorybox tho
Not terrible, bit repetitive
Atmospheric and cool, but I'm not sure there is enough there there to keep me entertained.
This had some cool vibes to it, but I did feel like they were a little too slow at times. I feel like this could be an album I come back and find I enjoy more things I didn't catch before. For now, I feel like it should be a 3.5, but I don't feel quite right with a 4.
I liked it more than I thought. Her voice could be so good with more live instruments
Very much like Bjork. Good beats and good voice.
British trip hop takes entirely too much space on this list. But this is one album I didn’t mind. It was good for getting into work mode and having something on in the background to help focus. That said, there’s a lot of albums that can do that. The lead singer has a nice voice. That said, all trip hop sounds the same to me.
If I have learned one thing about myself through this experience its that trip-hop is not for me. I think this is the 3rd trip-hop album I've gotten and each one has done nothing for me. Everything I've heard about this album makes it seem like the ultimate trip-hop album and if it doesn't make the genre click for me than I don't think anything will. My rating is a combination of respect for the album and the understanding that this is a genre of music I don't think I'll ever come around on. 3/5
The same as the other one. 3 stars. Just.
I could hear how this pushed the boundary on sound choice but it wasn’t my thing
Some nice chill beats and good vocals. This was pretty boring most of the time, but not bad. Favorite Track: Glory Box
10 songs - 52 minutes very punk - slightly grunge very repetitive - the true screams were kinda weak instrumentals were fun at times but every song felt like it dragged
Not my thing as such but I could listen to it. Not something I'd play in the car. But lying in bed listening on a lazy Bank Holiday Monday, it's probably the best time to listen to it. A couple of famous songs like Glory Box and Sour Times help with feeling familiar with it.
Better than I remember. Unmistakenly 90s but somehow still seems relevant.
Portishead definitely makes strong choices, bending genres to carve out a space where electronica can live with soul and folk. Decades on, you can still hear some of their influence in pop. The sound is a little less striking now, perhaps because their approach was assimilated into the mainstream.
Another pleasant surprise! I had some duds in the beginning of the week, but the week really turned around. Favorite song: sour times
I don't know how often I'll go back to this one, but I really enjoyed it as background music while I worked.
I had a friend who was really into Portishead and listened to this album ALL THE TIME and I got so sick of it. Later on I was fortunate to see Beth Gibbons live and then went back and listened to this and finally got it. I guess I just wasn't ready for it in 1994-95.
I don't know why, but I've always had a hard time getting into this album. It's good, but I never latched onto it.
not for me but i could see how people would enjoy it, last song was the best
A haunting jazz lounge singer singing over intriguing jazzy, hip hop, electronica music. I thought I would hate it but it quite good. I don't know when or if I'd listen again but I did enjoy it. 3 What's a Portis?
I honestly thought I was going to hate this, because I think I was thinking of another band. But this was not bad at all.
its okay.
I always thought that I really loved Portishead but it turns out I just really love a few of their songs. The rest feel uninspired.
Saved the heater for the end of the album I see.
Shoegazey. Kind of one note.
Haunting, smoky, a bit slow, but can definitely create a mood in a space, for what it is it's pretty good. Not pouring singles out, there's at least one the stands out.
This is kinda like Fiona Apple if she was not as great of a singer
Love the beat, not so much a fan of the vocals. Never got the bug with Portishead, but I do respect them a lot. And I also respect Bristol and surrounding areas for leading on trip hop but I think I’m a little bit disconnected from that because my association from living there a good 20 years after the fact is that it’s all drum n bass, Balkan, ska and dub - which is all a much different mood to what was going on in the 90s. 6 / 10 Best track/s: Strangers, Glory Box
Something very familiar about the sound of this album but can’t place it.
3.5
lo escuché hace un tiempo y me generó lo mismo que ahora, hay como una desconexión en el álbum que no termina de gustarme del todo pero en general es bueno, tiene un par de canciones bastantes conocidas pero no es un albumanzo. sigan con la página abierta 👍
Sour Times is a banger
I like this way more when I was 18 unfortunately. Roads is still a standout track, but all the beats just feel are just a little goofy to me. 3 stars for me but If someone says it is their favorite album of all time I would kinda get it.
Good
This was a good album! I like the sensual and eerie tone that spans throughout. I would give it a 3 as my initial rating because a lot of the songs sounded kind of similar.
One of the most interesting albums I‘ve listened to, really like the vibe, however the voice got kinda annoying towards the end
Not bad.
Very nice but kind of flat
Never wanted to listen to this thinking it was dance based but this is amazing, it seems to take elements I do not like, Bjorkish vocals and trip hop beats but blend them in a way that it undulating and beautiful.
Everyone says Dummy is a masterpiece but I disagree. The production is incredible. The fattest fullest sound, but the vocals drag. It’s a five for production but a 2 for not being enjoyable.
Pretty good, but sometimes too repetitive/not enough is happening.
Good but a little boring. I’m pretty sure I wasn’t listening in the right environment.
Fine; mesmerising analogue loops and industrial beeps, beats and such, but it doesn't really fly until Glory Box at the very end.
Carries a very royal James Bond type sound(wouldn’t be out of place in the Daniel Craig era atleast). Could also be used as backround music in a noiresque style
3/5
Just some chill wavy beats. The lead singer croons softly, almost inaudibly over the synths. Highly listenable without demanding any attention to itself. Good background music, but not much to shake a stick at.
It was fine. Just not a lot of depth
I can appreciate it.
This album was definitely good. The trip hop genre is interesting but it’s not entirely for me. I loved the ominous feel that the songs had and the vocal performances hit on pretty much every song. It just felt slightly redundant by the end of the album and the listening experience was not as fun as some other albums.
It's fine but I couldn't really see why this was a celebrated album. For me, it fell into "decent background noise" territory
very cool.. they put something in this that my dork mind can't articulate. kept getting this band and Massive attack confused now i know the difference
Pleasantly surprised, definitely enjoyed this one
Mira un álbum nuevo El álbum: background music
Decent background music in a moody bar vibe.
It’s not my thing, but that doesn’t make it bad. I can totally see why this album is loved. I did like Glory Box tho
Really enjoyed and would listen again. Not sure how it is one of the best ever, but liked it nonetheless.
A new one for me, never heard of the group or the recorded. Spacey and interesting
When I was in university in the late 90s this was THE album to have sex to. It feels weird listening to it today, on a hot summer day, because this is night music. Super moody and atmospheric. Musically, I find it more engaging on an intellectual level than I do on a gut level. I think what they’re doing is interesting with the heavy use of sampling, and techniques that were more commonly found in hip hop, like scratching, but all turned towards very different ends. It’s a good record, an important one even, but it’s not something I’ve listened to in years, and while I liked revisiting it, I don’t expect it’s one that I’ll go back to often either.
Good but it doesn't click for me. Favorite Tracks: Sour Times, It Could Be Sweet, It's A Fire, Glory Box 6/10
I feel like I'm at a 90s coffee shop.
Some great tracks on here, however I found it washed over me a bit without really triggering anything. Didn't sense a lot of variety on offer and it left me a bit cold all in all.
Honestly I felt like I should have hated this more than I actually did. I think the beats were captivating enough for me to enjoy, and her voice compliments the music really well. It’s certainly a dark and edgy vibe and I think it really nails the execution.
Ah... the glory days of trip hop in the mid 90s. I was mildly interested in Portishead back in the day and remember playing their music as a DJ at my college radio station. I was more a fan of Tricky and Massive Attack though. Dummy is decent but almost too artsy for its own good at times.
Very lo-fi and pretty chill. I like the singer’s voice. A little spooky. I like the jazzy vibes and it feels like a spy noir. I think I like the song “strangers” the most. “Pedestal” is pretty good along with “biscuit”. I didn’t really care for “sour times” or “numb”. “Glory box” is very good, definitely top 5 from this album. 1) strangers 2) biscuit 3) it could be sweet 4) glory box 5) wandering stars; everything else was meh to me
Chill, moody, ethereal. A fun diversion on a 90s Road Trip playlist Coupla tracks are in my rotation: Sour Times, Wandering Star, Glory Box
Pleasant triphop with interesting use of sampling, lofi, and mellow vocals. This is a nice album to enjoy as background or focus music, but doesn't offer much in the way of surprises or strong impressions.
I feel like I've heard these before but I don't know where. Anyway, enjoyable!
Portishead fans are some of the most pretentious (up there with Tool fans) which is enough to remove a star for, but the music is actually much better than I expected. Especially Glory Box! With how aggressively male the fans are, I did not expect the singer to be a woman. Still, this sounds like something that could only exist in that 1993-96 window.
i had always wanted to check out more portishead cuz i had only heard a handful of songs but tbh im a little underwhelmed... overall i liked it and it was a chill vibe, just nothing that really stood out faves - glory box and roads, a lil nostalgia for this one, it was in a sims youtube series i loved in middle school LMAO (shoutout pleasantview high)
Cool vibes. Enjoyed this
great album to get depressed to
Cool and loungey, but something where the mood needs to be right or it doesn’t quite hit.
분위기 좋 베스트: Wandering Star
You know, this website confuses me sometimes. More frequently than I’d like to admit. There are times when I roll an album that is an unmistakable 5, just an absolute gem, and it has a way lower rating than I was anticipating. Virtually every female artist barring a select few have low ratings as well, that seems to be the norm at least from what I’ve noticed. A lot of those albums are also 5’s. With all that being said, “Dummy” by Portishead is the second highest rated Electronica album on the website, right under another album I didn’t exactly care for. First things first, did I enjoy this album?? Yeah, of course. It’s pretty chill and vibey for the whole thing, but that’s also one of my biggest criticisms. It’s way too mellow and low key for a grand majority of the album. I’m not the biggest fan of the consistent emphasis on this kind of chilled out, low stress music. The fact that this has a higher rating than something like Justice, The Prodigy and even the Gorillaz does genuinely surprise me. The biggest criticism I have with Electronica in general is that a lot of the times, a song is going to last just a liiiiiiiiittle bit longer than you want it to. This album suffers heavily from that. It’s 48 minutes of songs that just kinda put me to sleep. Again, not an issue. Objectively, it sounds great, it’s just not the kind of Electronica that I love. Still though, songs like “Glory Box” have a random guitar solo that I love, and the background elements of “Wandering Star” make it my favorite song on the entire album. I can’t really say I’d return to this one, and I can’t even honestly figure out what a majority of the website saw with this one either. Oh well, not every album can be a banger to everybody. This is one I’ll forget about pretty quickly. Very pretty singing though. It’s charming and peaceful. Got me through the day good enough, and I could have it on in the background while working easy enough as well. Overall, I was a little bored by this one, but the singer truly does have a great voice. Just not one I’d like to listen to for an extended period of time.
Contient une de mes chansons favorites, mais étonnamment elle s'écoute mieux isolée du reste de l'album, bien qu'il y ait une vraie cohérence tout au long de celui-ci. L'originalité de leur signature musicale me parle, mais je trouve que les morceaux manquent de quelque chose malgré tout.
I still listen to this album
Dark and moody. Delightful.
Pleasingly dark and bassy. I remember when it came out it didn't do much for me but I enjoyed listening again after all these years.
Hab mich sehr darauf gefreut weil ich Glorybox so liebe. War auch cool aber Production ist schrecklich
this album was pretty sick, kinda haunting. Some songs I loved some not as much, and there were points when I thought they were losing the backbone of the song but then they ended up tying it all together. Not a perfect 5 but pretty good
Nice lofi vibes but not for me
3.5 - revisit
I come back to this album with regularity enough to recognize that it's good. I just don't go out of my way for it.
Medio emo/depresivo pero funciona como album.
Atmosphere and vibes first kind of album, it strikes this feeling like traveling through a foreign land of abstract horrors and unsettling feelings. Slow pressing instruments with lots of sampling give the music something unique to say at times. Her voice isn't for me, the warbling droning combined with how soft she sings sometimes ends up at odds with the experience although it does complete the over all "Sound" they are going for. Might be an album that grows on me over time.
Correcto
Mixed on this one. I didn't vibe with it at first, but as it went on the more I listened the more I kinda "got it." Still not totally sure how I feel about it overall though.
Ok a little sinister. Evil villain music I think. I think if I was evil I would make my henchmen follow me around and play this everywhere I go to set the tone. Less sinister and a whole lot funkier now. I do really like this. It's fun and a very weird. This woman has the perfect voice for this music. OK what. Wait it's this song?? This was sampled by snoh allegra or whatever her name is. I like this. Favourite: Wandering Star/Glory Box Least favourite: Pedestal
Not as interesting as I remember. Lyrically and (potentially) stylistically dubious.
3.5 Man, I’ve been really struggling with rating this one. I know this album is highly, HIGHLY regarded by music fans and critics alike, to the point where it stands tall even amongst a list like this, and from an objective point of view, I can see why - as far as downtempo music goes, this is probably about as good as it gets. Each song feels uniquely its own, the production is atmospherically airtight, Beth Gibbons’ vocals are soothingly etherreal… and yet I just can’t say this left a lasting impression on me. In fact, as of this writing, I’m currently returning to my review game after about a month-long travel break, and despite giving this numerous listens in that time to try and stay up-to-speed, I’m still having trouble trying to think back on any particular song or moment. Wandering Star may have been a favorite? I know that’s not necessarily the point of an album, sometimes (or perhaps even oftentimes) the whole is intended to be greater than the sum of its parts, regardless, I just can’t say this had any kind of significant impact on me nor did I find myself scrambling to re-listen. However, whenever I DID find myself putting this on as a sort of refresher, I can’t say it was a bad time, either. It normally bugs me when people try to rate something objectively because, well, I know how others feel about it, how do YOU feel about it? But, I can’t help but shake the feeling that this is a good album - it’s just not a remarkable one, at least for me. It’s sort of like having a snack offered to you that makes you think, “Oh, that’s tasty”, but you never feel the compulsion to actually go pick some up for yourself. So, yeah, for all the back-and-forth and admitted overthinking I had with this one, I think a 3.5 is fair. I promise, I REALLY try to be an open-minded music fan and amateur critic, but I’m not going to lie about biases I have either - I’ll leave that to the pros.
May 23rd, 2026 Electronic, moody, mysterious Stand out songs: Numb, Glory Box
not my normal genre/style - definitely nice to listen to however not my cup of tea
‘Glory Box’ is a very good song and was the only Portishead song I’d ever heard before yesterday. Electronica, hip-hop, and folk(?) combine for quite the interesting listen. Was not a big fan of the vocal stylings of the lead singer, a bit too much of the “breathless whisper” style that I hate, but the music behind it was fresh and creative, so a bit of a conflict for me. A couple songs weren’t very good, but overall pretty solid. I’ll give it a high 3/5, the singing detracted too much for me to give it a 4.
My first daily album! I'm already so excited about this, as I'd never even heard of the trip hop genre and would probably have never discovered this album on my own. I don't know much about music criticism or theory, but it felt really solid and relaxing, maybe a bit too monotonous for my taste in some parts (but maybe that's the point?). Probably something I'd have in the background instead of listening actively. Glory box I'd heard before, and for a reason, it's the standout for me. Really good vibes all around.
throwback...nice low jam feel.
i really like the cover
Pretty chilled but nothing special, nice background music. 2.5/5
I would rather listen to the original music they sampled...
It's an interesting listen but not really my thing. Glory box is really good though.
Some of the songs were good and some were just ok.
a little slow at times but amazing voice, cool calm and eerie vibe throughout the album. my favorite song is biscuit.
A lot of it felt the same but it has a nice grungy and edgy feel. The stand out songs for me were mysterons, strangers, it could be sweet and glory box.
Buen album, Glory box temón, pero no se si volvería a escuahr toodo el albúm porque no es mi estilo tanto. Sólido 3 estrellas.
I still don't know what's the hype about at all... I like bass line in one song, which I thing that's even not on the original track listing...
The production on this album goes so hard for no reason. The vocals feel so out of place. All of these songs sound like they would be in a weird dystopian tv show or something. I don’t know what mood to be in to listen to this but I did enjoy the experience of the album.
3*
This album felt as though it was lacking overall. Some songs were great, while most were either missing a little something, or were just bad. The singer has a beautiful voice, but on some songs, I kept waiting for her to really give us something, and she never did. This was the same feeling for some of the music on some of the tracks.. Again, just missing something. I do feel like a hear vibes/samples from current day music that were more than likely inspired by this album. I would say overall I give this album a 3. I wouldn't listen to the entire album again, but possibly a few of the tracks.
7/10 - caught me by surprise, a very good album, soft electronic mixed with indie vocals
*1994. *I liked this better than the other Portishead album, but still not my favorite style. RATING - 6.5/10
Don't love it, don't hate it. I can see what they were going for but it's not for me. Made me sleepy.
Great album to work to. Cool beats, very ambient and a little weird. I found myself marveling at how each song was pieced together, sampling is such an art and takes so much time. This collection of samples and vocals was cool as hell. Favorite tracks: Strangers Glory Box
Pretty fantastic production and concept, felt that all sounded similar.
Do you want to have some serious sexual memories? Go for it, Dummy, Biscuit and Roads are very good for this. Otherwise, it's a really meh album
glory box la había escuchado por tiktok pero no tenia idea que venia en este álbum, es la primera vez que escucho esta banda y me gustaron como 6 canciones de este álbum. No es mi favorito porque no soy muy fan de este genero pero me sorprendio que hubieran canciones que me gustaran, asi que la calificación de este album es media, como un 5/10 :)
widac juz po okladce ze to lynczowskie ale nie sadzilam ze mi sie tak spodoba mega fajne
I feel like this is a fantastic album for a very very specific mood, but it’s too thin to have listening to it be your only activity. Unfortunately makes me think of the nonzero number of weird sexual encounters it has probably scored too
Not bad, actually. Vocals save it.
Solid album, a lot of fun sounds on this one but nothing that stood out
It’s super unique and a product of its time. Unfortunately it’s just not for me.
It was alright, some songs are amazing
Boring, fine?
Top songs: glory box (only one that sounded familiar), sour times, roads and biscuit. It’s good but not my style.
Sounds cool but generally not my vibe. I love glory box though. The songs all just kinda sound the same to me and they dont stand out from one another. They kinda blend into the same sound and its kinda frustrating for my brain.
I was looking forward to this album when it came up.. But it was kinda a let down.
Two exceptional tracks, and the rest are atmospheric, but not anywhere near as memorable. Is it a good album, yes, but not a great one. Three stars.
Not my fav type of music but I enjoyed it
Tad disappointed, the song s I knew alteady are great but overall a bit boring
Mellow and interesting album that didn't quite hook me. Nothing really wrong with this one but to me it needed maybe something more to make me go wow.
I new the name, and had only heard Sour Times. The music is a great chill vibe, perfect background music but not necessarily the most engaging.
es un buen álbum, prefiero la primera mitad que siento q es un Radiohead con jazz, después cambia y se pone un estilo más triste más pesado, sigue bueno pero no tanto como antes
Forventet å like dette litt mer enn jeg gjorde, men ganske chill å ha på mens man jobber. Sterk 3.
3.5 Stars
Moody and cool
Para escuchar de fondo está bueno
Too experimental for me
fine
Album #105 Portishead: Dummy This is an album which I had long been aware of due to its reverence amongst music fans; however, since I’m not too big on the whole 90s trip-hop/downtempo electronic scene, I never really felt too compelled to listen to it. My first listen was pretty much like I expected; the music never did too much to become annoying; it stayed consistent in atmosphere and overall was quite enjoyable, albeit, for my tastes, it did not appear to be anything special. I do understand the great appeal of this album; it is pretty much James Bond soundtrack meets lo-fi beats to study to, however, personally, the music that compels me the most tends to strive for more than just comfort and seeks to pull emotion out from within you. Essentially, though I enjoy ‘chill’ music, I need there to be some big climactic moments in the album; that is part of the reason I love 80s sophisti-pop so much, artists like Prefab Sprout and The Blue Nile have relaxing and beautiful melodies, but also moments of triumph and explosiveness that remind the listener that they are alive. However, sometimes these moments exist, but are not immediately apparent. I had a feeling that the subtleties of ‘Dummy’ were being lost on me, and though I enjoyed the album and likely would have rated it around a 7, I felt like I owed it another listen. The second listen was ultimately more of the same, though I do pretty well enjoy every track here; I also can’t say that any of them reach ‘peak’ status. To me, this is sort of an album that you can’t really hate, so of course it will become beloved; however, it just doesn’t quite appeal to my tastes entirely. I’m not too big on the whole trend in the 90s where they were just starting to incorporate hip-hop beats and IDM into other genres; this album is supposed to be beautiful and mysterious, but then I am interrupted with record scratches out of a Sir Mix-a-Lot song. Ultimately, the positives do vastly outweigh the negatives, and I am sure I will come to appreciate this album more, so I am still going to give it quite a favourable rating; however, I cannot help but feel that it is a touch overrated. Best Songs: Glory Box, Roads, It’s A Fire Worst Song: Pedestal Score out of 10: 7.5
Zzzzzz
Me trae muchas vibes de bjork pero a la vez tiene sonidos hiphopperos que me descolocan. No me encanta pero no me disgusta. Se nota que son britanicos
No standout tracks except maybe the first one. Mysterons was really weird and atmospheric, which I enjoyed. The entire album feels like I'm in a hospital with a dying acquaintance. Not really a fan of Beth Gibbon's voice paired with the music. It's not that she has a bad voice, but with a different singer, I think the music would hit harder. Her voice (to me) leans smoother and soulful in a way. Also, I loved the strings on Roads. A truer rating would be more like 2.5. Pretty middle of the road for my taste.
This was cool! It's fun to hear this in light of how ubiquitous this genre has become in 2025. I feel like any of these songs could be in one of those popular Youtube studying playlists. I especially liked Sour Times and Wandering Star. My only complaint is the slowness of so many of these songs. I wanted just a bit more propulsive percussion, but maybe that's the sound they were going for.
Was very 90’s. Good but a Serrano mood is needed.
Glory Box, I guess that's all we need to say on this one right? I have never really given Portishead my attention but this album has a vibe. Beth Gibbons voice is haunting and I love it.
The album was ok. Some tracks were decent, very relaxing . 2.5 stars
I had never heard of Portishead before. Definitely not the music I would usually have thrown on, but it wasn't bad. It's honestly pretty easy to listen to in the background.
Fairly pleasant, but there’s little here.
Very vibey—enjoying this more than I expected. first song was the one i liked the most
I knew Glory Box going into this. An alright record. It's a cohesive experience, just not one I would actively seek out very often.
whimsical but also church gospel? but also dark?
Vibe sex music, des rythmes sensuels, un peu à la Dido par moments, ça change
Not that bad. Replay maybe
Better than Third. There's some cool bass. My favourites were Roads and Glory Box.
I am being critical
Not a huge fan of this style of music, but it makes for good background music.
I like this these songs are pretty good but I don’t know when I would ever listen to this again
sour times fue sampleada por el chojin, amigos y amigas, amigoos y amigas. parece bastante experimental, buenos ritmos, pero un poco raruno todo, muchas canciones sampleables, no es mi estilo, pero no esta mal, 3/5
People really will say just any old thing is one of the 1001 best albums of all time, won't they?
she dummy on my head til i portis
I enjoyed each song individually as a cool background song, but 48 minutes of it straight is too much for me.
I like the lady's voice, mysterons very mysterious
I do quite like this little bit of me this is but theres just not enough going on i feel too underestimated i need 5 pads with lady gaga pink panther maybe it abit of thr raye and the amy and the breaking dishes
pretty okay
Wonderful more electronic. Top 100 Apple Music album so I have higher hopes. Beat on mysterons is really cool, bs vocals. Beat and vocals are great on sour times. This is a really well made song. Love the guitar. Simple but works so well. Great bass line. Not a fan of the beginning of strangers but it picks up as the song goes on. I like the beat a lot, vocals never really get there. It could be sweet is pretty forgettable all around. However I do appreciate the change in pace. Production on wandering star is so sick. Good songwriting too. It’s a fire is pretty good too. The production is really good, vocals leave a little to be desired. That’s a common theme. Numb is cool. Interesting sounds but they mostly work. Good writing. Roads is very 90s. Good not great song. The horns with that beat on pedestal is sick. Great song. No joy is forgettable. Glory box is really really cool. Love the guitar. Great production as always. Better songwriting in this one. Better than my expectations. A lot of really well made songs. Good to great album. 3.4 stars.
Hard to judge this fairly when I associate it with car ads. The music is fine, cool vibe but not something I would seek out. 2.5/5. Raising to 3.
Solid album, liked it a lot more then I thought i was going to
Didn't enjoy this as much the second time around. I'm not a big fan of trip hop so its a little too long to keep my interest
A good album carried by brilliant vocals. An album that defined a certain era and sound, but just not a genre I enjoy all that much. The production is on the sillier side of unique, with lots of keyboard sound effects thrown in, but it all sounds sharp and crisp. A couple of big hits, but a lot of filler. Many of the songs just plod along at the same pace, with not enough of a dynamic shift to ramp up excitement. All that being said, the vocals are, once again, incredible; powerful, unique, recogniseable.
Cool sound but repetitive.
I mean I guess it was ok, I dunno
Zone out a fair bit. It's meh
I missed trip hop the first time around and I’m loving these albums as they come up
I had never heard of Portishead before and was intrigued so spent a little while on Wikipedia whilst listening to this album. I also partly listened to it whilst on a walk. Perhaps the fact I split listening to the album into two reveals quite a lot. At first, I enjoyed it, with the opening tracks as a novelty for a fresh, dynamic sound. However, it soon grew rather repetitive and I found myself not as entranced. I can definitely see why people enjoy this though, the vintage-y sound and Beth Gibbons’ unconventional voice. Rating: 3.
Au début j’étais pas trop chaud mais ça va y’a quelques sons qui peuvent être bien
Sound quality isn't honestly that great, unless my ears aren't working. Album cover goes hard and fits the vibes. Some of the sounds just sound like banging on a pot with a wooden spoon favs: It could be sweet- sexy beat, mario game vibes
Eletronic, partly trip-hop. I like the voice of the singer, though this music is not really to my taste
It is kinda dummy...
Smexy I like it
An interesting concept mixing hip hop beats with a more classic singing style. It worked for some of the songs but not for all of them.
Better than I expected for Portishead.
Chill, moody, polished music with some dark depths. Worth re-listening.
This was a strange but very wonderful listen. I really enjoyed it, especially because I wore headphones for the entire album. There were so many subtle part that I felt would’ve went unheard in a car.
The music and its atmosphere is sensational, i think they nail the intent; i feel however, I am not in the headspace for the thematic it proposes, meaning it didn't land as it could've. I appreciate faster songs much more than slow ones, and while I liked it, but I wouldn't listen to it again until a long time has passed, nor would i go out of my way to do so.
massive attack vibesssss
I listened to this at work and was surprised at how productive I was. Cool blend of styles but I could see this getting a little monotonous pretty quickly. Glory box though.
Liked a lot but not sure it’s one I’ll go back to regularly
There are a few hits on this album that I love, but most of the rest of this album didn’t really do it for me.
Mid
Good album, just not my favorite trip hop lane. I usually enjoy more groove + texture heavy stuff as opposed to vocal heavy, but I get why this is so respected
Very different, was a fan of this but couldn’t listen to too much
This album was so chill, I liked it! Had a good beat going throughout and really enjoyed Glory Box!
alright
The album’s constant tension (minor-key melodies, unresolved loops, and scratchy, warped sounds) gives much of it an uneasy, almost-creepy feel. The bigger tracks ease up on the eerie atmosphere, and those are the ones I like most. As a whole, I don’t really love the album, but I respect it.
Doesn't quite sustain itself for the whole album, but I do like their sound and vibe, and some songs powerfully evoke my freshman year of college when I was discovering a ton of new music and having my mind blown open.
man white people will listen to anything
So-so
‘Cause nobody loves me, it’s true not like you do
ESTÁ MUY BUENO just not my vibe conocía un tema solo (glory box) q es la definición de sexo pero bueno el resto pasan sin pena ni gloria salvo algunas excepciones. me hace acordar a björk o a moby x momentos idk ambos igual son artistas que no calo mucho xd
Ich glaube ich bin bei dem Album ein Opfer meiner hohen Erwartungen geworden. Ich dachte Portishead sei diese Überband und ich hab mich gefreut das zu erleben. Aber irgendwie hat es nicht richtig geklickt. Die Stimmung und der Vibe haben mich nicht ganz erreicht. Glory Box ist natürlich ein großartiger Song und das kann niemand schlecht reden aber ansonsten habe ich mich sehr viel gelangweilt. Ich denke allerdings auch, dass ich nochmal wieder kommen will um es erneut zu hören und eventuell packt es mich dann. Deshalb starke 2 Punkte die ich wohlwollend zu 3 aufrunde, allein weil ich es nochmal hören will.