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What have you come to expect from Portishead? It's been over 10 years since we got an album of original material from them, and even then we only had a total of 2 full lengths. This year is the much-heralded return of the group, and from what I can tell they haven't lost a step. The music is still dark trip-hop that puts you in an incredibly chilled yet angst-driven mood. This is music for the back-alley drug dealers. Music for the teenager who just doesn't fit in at school. Music for those of us that have a shadowy side to our personalities. And it's brilliant to that effect.

So "Third" is the title of the new album, in stores on Tuesday. Most certainly much excitement is being fueled this weekend by Portishead's only U.S. performance at Coachella. I won't be there, but I do envy those of you able to see Portishead in a live setting. Hopefully the band will be back around before the end of 2008 with more U.S. dates (or maybe not). But to hear classics off "Dummy" and their self-titled efforts is cherry enough, but the new stuff just proves they're as viable as ever, I'm not fully used to the idea of a new Portishead album yet, but it still inspires me whenever I turn "Third" on, which is only a good sign overall. Their particular sound has been missing from music for awhile now, probably since the last (underwhelming) Massive Attack record, one of their closest counterparts.

No, Portishead won't rightly reclaim the dubstep/trip-hop crown that is so rightfully theirs with this new album, but to expect such a thing is simply raising your expectations much too high. They're fantastic all right, but to expect the same sort of success and critical acclaim they had in the 90s is a little foolish. It's no fault of "Third," but rather the musical landscape right now. Last I recall, the world wasn't begging for a Portishead reunion or even new material from the band. Now that it's happened, people I know are exceptionally happy about it, but Portishead was never on the "top 10 list of bands I wish would reunite and release new material." In fact, aside from "Sour Times," and the occasional track popping up during a shuffle on my mp3 player, I had all but forgotten about Portishead. Now they're back and relevant again, albeit mostly to the people who are generally familiar with their previous material. Portishead is like an old friend you totally lost touch with but now they've moved in next door wanting to reconnect. There's some fun and nostalgia in catching up with Portishead and seeing what they've got in their bag of tricks this time around. "Third" is a great record and a very great addition to the band's already stellar catalogue. Was it entirely necessary? No. In fact this would've played better in 1999 or 2000. Still, that we've been handed this in 2008 is just fine. And I can't think of a much better way to bring trip-hop back into relevance. Let's just hope this either keeps going or ends quickly, because I don't want to get jerked around for another few years wondering what, if anything, Portishead will do next.

Portishead- Silence

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Labels: portishead