Reviews (page 9 of 14)
Some quintessential chill hits.
"Pedestal" and "Glory Box" were my favorites
Trippier than I anticipated. Pleasantly low-key and downbeat
Taki przyjemny electro-house? trip-pop? Dobre
Super stimme
Fijn fijn fijn!
I have a soft spot for this trip-hop style, esp this early-ish stuff. Esthero was a favourite of mine after seeing her live at a festival-style show - I def see the influence here.
Love the production
me gusta
Un dels del podi del trip hop. I segurament és la banda que millor va saber definir el génere, i totes les seves particularitats. Sobretot amb aquest disc
I liked it, but the genre doesn't really do much for me.
Great album - by a really underrated band!
didn't think this would be my cup of tea but I found myself liking it quite a bit, would come back to this for chill out/melancholy tunes. Songs are different enough from each other to stand apart, yet the album still feels cohesive as a whole. 3.5/5 rounded up to 4 Faves: Glory Box, Roads, Wandering Star
Pretty good chillout thingy
L’instru est vraiment cool. Pour l’instant c’est juste très cool, j’ai du fun à écouter les chansons. J’ai l’impression que la voie de la chanteuse match pas assez avec le style du groupe. Genre avec spellbound c’était la combinaison parfaite, mais ici leur combinaison marche moins. Par contre c’est quand même trop de la bombe.
a year ago, I never heard of them, now I'm a fan. This is a great trip hop album. Standouts: Sour Times, Mysterons, Numb, Strangers, Glory Box 4/5
Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Wandering star, Numb, Pedestal, Glory box
Beth Gibbons featured on a Kendrick Lamar song… and that’s where my knowledge of Portishead ends. This album was a nice surprise. Haunting vocals over atmospheric hip-hop instrumentals was a combination I didn’t know I yearned for. Reeks of James Bond theme songs throughout.
2e Portishead in 4 dagen, maar deze is een stuk beter dan die eerdere. Het is een beetje hiphop, triphop in tempo, maar dan op een Radiohead achtige manier. Echt heel bijzonder en daardoor ook wel intrigerend. Het heeft me zeker positief verrast dit. 4 sterren.
Maybe the most iconic Trip-Hop release of all-time. One of the standout features of this album is the haunting vocals of lead singer Beth Gibbons. Her voice is melancholic and emotive, perfectly complementing the dark and brooding musical arrangements. Songs like "Glory Box" and "Roads" showcase Gibbons' powerful and haunting voice, making for a truly unforgettable listening experience. The album's production is also noteworthy, with its use of sampling and electronic instrumentation. The songs are built around looped samples, creating a hypnotic and mesmerizing effect. Tracks like "Sour Times" and "Strangers" showcase the group's innovative use of sampling, with sounds ranging from old jazz records to hip-hop beats. Close to a 5 this one, but falls just short in my opinion.
Beautiful, cool, minimal.
I realized today I don't know most of the songs off of this album except for Glory Box and I think one other. I like this one a lot too! I think both yesterday's album and today's were very different but I'd gladly listen to either again.
favs: Biscuit, Glory Box, Sour Times, Sour Sour Times (a bonus track on the Canadian CD so it counts!) least fav: Wandering Star
Dark, haunting, groovy and incredibly cool and classy. I don't feel it's aged, although many others disagree with me! Just enough time for Beth's vocal style to stay the good sign of irritating. Excellent guitar sound.
Answers the age old question of, what does synth wave sound like if performed by a witch in medieval times?
Listened through the majority of the album. Will check out their other songs. Definitely made me want to dable more in the trip hop genre.
Dummy by Portishead is dangerously close to be background music with its mellow tempo but it manages to keep my interested by using clever beat shifts, use of sampling and scratching. It's similar in style to Massive Attack and DJ Shadow. The variation and the distinction between the songs could be better though. This is an album I wouldn't mind picking up at the record store.
Virkelig godt album
The innovative sound of Portishead still sounds innovative, fresh and original after all these years! As does the singer’s voice. I wish more bands would break new grounds the way Portishead did.
очень круто и расслабляюще но четверочка
Slowpace, downer
Not the biggest trip-hop fella out there, but Dummy really captured my attention. Maybe not enough ti get me on the trip-hop-train, but at least enough to get me to watch it leave the station. The seductive power of Beth Gibbon’s voice, combined with the steady electronic beat seemed to invite a certain kind of energy: Kind of like what androids would play before making love. An overall pleasant experience.
Trip hop's Straight Outta Compton.
This is probably a light four, but still a four. There's a reason this has a better score than a lot of the other 90's electronica albums. These are actual songs and not just noise. They may be a bit repetitive, but that's just the way electronica is, I guess. I liked the downer tone. I felt like I should have been depressed and smoking a cigarette while listening to this. I also liked the quality of the singer's voice. My favourite song was Sour Times.
Ikke deres sterkeste, men like fullt veldig bra.
This was my introduction to portishead
all around great album, stylistically consistent throughout, without becoming repetitive, beautiful vocals, killer production.
I listened to this album a lotttt in college, and I credit it for pulling me out of my black metal purist phase. Vocals are almost too ASMRy at times for me, but when she gets bold and Winehousian with it, GIIIRL. Beats, samples, and instrumentals, all very entrancing 🌀〰️🌀
Vel viðeigandi bömmer-hlustun
slusala prije
Good plinky plonky background music. Always been aware of this album, don't know why I've never listened to it, I definitely listened to similar and certainly recognise a couple of tracks.
Great vibe. I love it.
The classic trip-hop album. Headphones are a must for this one.
This album has pretty sick beats.
Eu realmente realmente amei
vibey and interesting
Pretty great album for a rainy day. Pretty unique for its time.
Still a beautiful album, a really nice musical moment and movement and well worth a listen.
4/5. A great collection of tracks but some sound too similar to feel like they stand out.
Foggy night in UK
#1 track sets the stage, bem nice the whole thing bateu
From Mary Oliver: "(In my sleep I dreamed this poem) Someone I loved once gave me a box full of darkness. It took me years to understand that this, too, was a gift."
trip hop >>> house
This is one of those albums that I think is good, but I also don't think is as good as its reputation. I feel like they rely on Beth Gibbon's voice for a lot, and her voice is excellent, so that makes the album work. However, because they rely on her voice so much, it feels like they don't bother to make the music all that interesting a lot of time. This just feels like it could be a lot better if they brought more to it in terms of musical complexity. Compared to the other albums on the Mt. Rushmore of Trip-Hop, this feels like a step behind albums like Mezzanine and Endtroducing. 4/5
This shit slap song
Second song had James Bond vibes. Very chill and old school electronica. I could vibe with this music for hours.
Sounded like I was listening to a chill James Bond soundtrack. Really enjoyed the lofi nature of this, definitely had a lot of "Massive Attack" influence.
Relaxte jams
A moody and atmospheric delight. I found the Bristol-born, trio-hop scene fairly late in the day and hadn’t actually listen to this as a full LP in one sitting. It achieves a rare thing of being able to l ignite some nostalgia wallowing and encapsulate the sound of when it was realised, whilst also sounding timeless and not out of place with the current vibe of 2022.
An album i've listened to plenty before now, it's a goody. Listening again, I find 'it's a fire' the most affecting track, previously overlooked it for the other bigger hits.
Unexpectedly, this album holds a special place in my heart after all these years. They effectively came out of nowhere for me. I didn't have a lot of influencer friends or radio hyping them up before this dropped. I never saw Portishead live. I don't think I even bought this record until 10 years after hearing it. And yet, this album was such a soundtrack to our college lives at the time. Even for someone like myself who, then, identified as a quasi straight-edged punk and post-punk enthusiast drenched in Northwest Grunge and Washington DC DIY. DUMMY takes me places now that are more than the sum of its parts and greater than what's on wax, and yet this recording is cognitively sticky and resilient. Instant feels from within the source as well as all this external evocation.
so concentrated but also a total bummer
Blue masterpiece.
Great album. Probably my favourite from this genre (which isn't exactly my forte). Just really solid overall, great vibes all around. It's groovy, it's melodic, it's simply very good.
Glory Box is still a legend! The rest of the album has its specific mystical atmosphere. By listening to Dummy from alpha to omega it clearly reveales some lengths.
massa os fadinho
HL: “Sour Times”, “Roads”, “It Could Be Sweet” October 30, 2022
Great time. Loved the mood, a high four. A great record.
- Heard this album once before, years ago - Grown on me a lot - Not a genre I've heard much of but still really good - Fav songs: Glory Box, Sour Times, Wandering Star
The album sounds original. probably because it is.
Not familiar with this group or album, so going in completely blind. Initial thoughts, this was from 1994? It was ahead of its time. First track is kind of equal parts creepy and chill. Really good mastering! I like the fuzz. What genre is this? Danger Mouse comes to mind. Track three gives me Zombie Girl. There's a big depth to the sound, I think Michael may really like this album. There was a track like Portishead on Linkin Park's Hybrid Theory. Ooooh and Gorillaz, Gravity. And yeah, I HAVE heard this last one, Glory Box, it was in The Craft.
This album was a breath of fresh air when it came out
Strong
Great, especially when Gibbons does her weird Bjork impression
very good sound, hidden gem that I enjoyed.
Over het algemeen goed, met een paar uitschieters. Bij vlagen lekkere rock/grunge achtig, maar wel traag. 4*
I really liked this album, experimental at the time it was released.
Brilliantl
Top notch
Already listened to this lol
I’m a fan of this album anyway but this is the first time I’ve really thought about why that might be. I’m in my early days with this challenge but I’m already recognising that I like music that makes me feel something. Dummy makes me feel thoughtful and introspective, it’s like an atmosphere that takes me somewhere mentally and I adore it for that
Very smooth very soothing. Can be a bit repetitive though. It's slightly below a 4 but I'll round up.
Kinda a crazy listen with headphones Great production Definitely took a couple listens to grow on me Kinda like Throbbing Gristle but everything is a little nicer
Very dark and brooding album. Somehow super relaxing too. Was not expecting a girl singer on this one. Although some of the songs are pretty long and go a little out there, I think the majority of this album is pretty damn good. 7/10
Dark and trippy
Listening to and reading about this album taught me that I was a fan of trip hop without even knowing what trip hop was. I already knew quite a few of the tracks, and after I got through all of them, Spotify's album radio was like 75% songs I know and love. Needless to say, this was a good experience.
Listened before: no Enjoyed: yes Listened: 4 times Excellent vibe, introduced me to a whole world of trip hop I look forward to delving in to
4.25
Listened before: no Enjoyed: yes Listened: 4 times Excellent vibe, introduced me to a whole world of trip hop I look forward to delving in to
Very spacey and haunting synths with soft vocals
Chill, trip hoppy
Weird in the best way. I was expecting nothing less.
Good album really different from the usual music I listen to. A few iconic songs, "Roads" is underrated. 7/10, will be listening to again.
Never heard of the performer before... Really enjoyed and would listen to again
Weird in the best way. I was expecting nothing less.
Wow that is some quality sound construction right there. Quite an amazing album. Big memories of first year uni.
I liked this album, good vibe.
Here's the thing about Portishead - they're the first artists I ever heard of who recorded their music and then sampled it to turn it into the songs on the album. Maybe I don't have that exactly right, but I seriously dig that worth ethic. But anyway, the first two songs are GREAT. The third is good. Then the fourth one is kinda like "uh-oh, are they going for Sade, here? Because I like Sade, but I don't want that from Portishead." But then it clicks back in with Wandering Star and builds up to Glory Box which is a GREAT closer. This is a good album. I like Portishead.
Wandering Star 7/10 Overall 7/10
Quiet chaos, soul reaching repetition, effortless passion, nonchalant pathos. I’ve had several songs from this album on my regular listening rotation for years, and yet, I’ve never listened to the whole album. I enjoyed every single song.
Original sound. Have known of Portishead for many years, but only started listening to them a few months ago. Love what they produced on Dummy and the self titled album. I laughed hard when this was the first album that was recommended, because I listen to it like twice a week.
Disco sabrosón y melancólico. Se disfruta mucho la voz de Beth Gibbons y toda la música es muy buena. Es un 3.5 para mi que voy a subir a 4 por Ropes y porque ha envejecido muy bien.
Y otro de esos discos que aunque no son parte de mi rotación constante sé reconocer como una chulada. Para escuchar trip hop se necesita cierto mood (que de hecho en el trabajo puede funcionar) pero cuando no es el mood correcto, puede cansar. Dejando eso de lado, este disco además de la histórica importancia en el género, está lleno de buenos detalles, especialmetne la voz.
I liked the mix of styles in this album. There was some soul, lounge, and Electronica, and it all sounded a little haunting and trippy. Loved the vocals. Favorite songs were Mysterons and Wandering Star.
Dark and moody, Portishead utilized subtlety to bring us an excellent trip hop album that loves it's jazz influences. Their excellence is twofold: the first being Adrian Utley's production that sets the mood for Dummy along with some of the best sampling at that time. Geoff Barrow is also worth crediting for introducing Utely to sampling and production work, while Barrow does the programming and a few other things on Dummy. The second great element of Portishead is Beth Gibbons and her smooth vocals. Her ambiance is unmatched and is a perfect fit for the smokey instrumentals. Dummy is purposeful, methodical, and impressive in it's execution. It's like a long cigarette break on the graveyard shift.
Haahaaaa neki dan slušo, live su bolesno dobri molim vas samo poslušajte ovo iako vam se ne svidi album. https://youtu.be/CZ_Z0Zfvsj0
Really enjoyed it, except for a couple of tracks.
I first listened to this album probably ten years ago or so from a friend who gave me a burned a copy of this cd. I really like the instrumentation and her vocal style. Triphop is a genre that I am interested in checking out more. Glory box and wandering star are my favorite two songs.
Era defining eerie sounding big breaking music from Portishead near Bristol. Sounds retro and modern in tandem. Beth Gibbons kills it in the vocals, like a glamorous 60s chanteuse in Doc Martens.
great!
- this truly deserves to be in 1001 albums - it gently creeps, it's very inconspicuous - cant stop thinking about Wandering stars....would love to see deconstructed
I enjoyed this much more than expected.
4.1 - Fantastic mixture of hip hop, blues and soul. Hauntingly chill tracks that are a perfect listen for so many times.
Classic
Glad for an excuse to listen to some Portishead, been loving Glory Box on YT for a while now. Roads and Wandering Star were excellent. Beth Gibbons with the stellar vocals as usual.
I had heard of them but never heard them. Cool sound, very unique. Fun listen.
8/10
I liked it. Felt very cinematic. I had originally thought it sounded like a 90s teen TV show soundtrack, the part where that one couple finally get together, or can't get together, or break up after being together, but it's actually too good to make that comparison. Moody & broody, the kind of music for the evening (in my opinion) if that makes sense.
I love Portishead's self titled album but for some reason this is my first time listening to this one...so this will be fun.
Funny this came right after Massive Attack. Good stuff as well. Electronic soul. Roads and Sour Times are great tunes. Few tunes sound similar but I can live with that.
Throwback to college days! I definitely had an impressively high iTunes playcount on "Sour Times" and "Glory Box". The rest of the album is nice and trippy, but those two just have the hooks that drone in your head. Super cool music.
Pros: - 1994 this came out. Grunge was the shit and they release this wickedly noir, vibey, cool, sickly blend of post rock that's been hanging out with minimalist electronics and somehow make it all work so good that it still makes me wonder ~28 years later how they didn't get asked to do a James Bond theme song. - Sometimes when I have random daydreams about running off to the desert and making an album, the final output in my head ends up sounding like this album and this band. - This is a great mixture of foreground and background music for me. I could have it on while my brain is 99% doing something else, like reading a book. I could have it on while my brain is doing 1% something else, like doing the dishes. - Listen to "Strangers" at the 1:12 mark. The pulse of the song from here on is what sounds like a phone ringing off the hook. How cool is that? Cons: Misc: - It just oozes "cool".
I actually really enjoyed this. It's like Amon Tobin, but with tolerable bits of techno music thrown in.
J’ai bien aime le style lambiance c’est un super album 4.75
great album - depressing as hell but great.
Solid album. Lots of cool, mellow songs. Not a huge fan of the record crackling they did on there. Good chill album but very the same throughout
This album is a really nice find for me! I would probably not have listened to this album if it wasn't for it being on this list! I love the beautiful and fragile vocals. The sparse use of organ, strings and bass are perfectly placed throughout. The only thing that pulls this album down a bit for me is use of scratching and some of the effects. Overall, a great listen with a cool groove. Favorite songs: Glory Box, Roads, It Could be Sweet. Rating 4 out of 5
I'm still new to trip-hop, but Portishead sounds like they've perfectly honed and executed a very cinematic and moody, with jazzy Billie Holiday-style vocals. It's stylish, but also full of substance and depth. I'll definitely be returning to this record.
I once tried to buy this album from a thrift store, but when I got home, I realized someone had swapped in a Joni Mitchelle CD. Court and Spark I think. So my Portishead experience was deferred until now. What a lovely, moody record. Feels like a balm. It's so delicate. The vocals are gorgeous and reflective (except "Numb"... just, why?). It reminds me a lot of the Everything But the Girl record we had earlier. I love the electronics and drums as well. The turntables are losing me a little bit -- I don't know if they've aged as well as the rest of this record has. They're the one thing that feels overwhelmingly of its time. Fave tracks: It Could Be Sweet, Wandering Star, Roads, Glory Box
trip hop for the win
Other reviewers have asked the same question: Why haven't Portishead been tapped for a James Bond theme? Beth has a great voice, totally suited to the slow beats that back her up. I'd never heard this band, their name sounded like a folk band. Then I read something that said they were pioneers of trip hop. This immediately sent my antennae waving, not in a good way. But I've been pleasantly surprised and enjoyed their music, bar one important detail. I've listened to several albums recently that all suffer from a lack of variety. EDM is chronically guilty of that. Sadly, it becomes a bit wearing. But it's so well done it still gets four stars. A couple of reviewers had a go at the scratching. IT'S 1994 FFS!
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"
Pleasantly surprised, definitely enjoyed this one
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
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.
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.