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I don't know, are they trying to implant a great flaw in this so that it won't be an OK Computer of it's day.I understand expressing self loathing through music and words but implanting it into the structure of an album like this is something I have not experienced and don't know how to deal with.So, honestly, there are absolutely brilliant songs on here but most of them will leave you hanging in a state of dismay without any closure.In the end, with Threads, the closure you get to this album is the monolithic whine of a synthesizer, like a machine's final swan song.DEATH. I even took The Rip and played around with it in Cubase to try and give it an ending that didn't leave me totally annoyed. But listened in whole, the album is most definitely an album only Portishead could make.My biggest gripe, and this is a huge gripe, are the fade outs of tracks and abrupt ineffective ends to many of the tracks. But in most cases it's just weak, especially considering that ALL the tracks on this album are great songs. Where to start. Maybe with the end.I've listened to this album all week long, sucking in the sound, trying to find reasons to be critical, reasons to dismiss, reasons to love it, reasons to obsess over it, reasons to dub it the best album of the year, and have come to see that this album should only be heard in context to Portishead's music alone.Silence and Magic Doors remind me of Martin Hannett's production of ESG.The use of Philip Glass style arpeggios for minimalist drama is clear in Hunter and full force in The Rip. In some cases, as in Machine Gun the end is perfect.
The uninspired name didn't evoke any confidence either.And while this album isn't quite the match of the previous two, and has a few songs on it that are a bit odd, the album holds together surprisingly well. This is not an album to be played as individual tracks in a mixed playlist for its best experience, it's an album to play straight through. After so many years passed, I was expecting when I heard there was a third album that it might be weak. Individually, some of the songs are good and a few are really good, and collectively, the album holds up better than you'd think, the songs build on each other.
I love how unique and slightly strange the music is. Maybe I just need to listen to it moreso it will grow on me, but this CD somehow has a different feel than the other two. I'm a huge Portishead fan. This CD is more than slightly strange though.
A nice addition to anyone's ambient groove collection.Pomme Was I let down. It took a few listens for this one to grow on me. Being a fan of their previous releases, I had some high expectations. At first, yes, but over time this one really got into my head.
It's every bit as dark and tragic as anything they've ever done, yet it's somehow different. Recommended. If you liked Portishead's previous efforts, you're sure to enjoy this album. I couldn't put my finger on it, but it does sound like they've updated their sound a bit to give it even more texture.Great mood music as always, but the lyrics are also intense.
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