Portishead - The Rip (Island)
4/5
By: Joe MacAllister
This Bristolian trio were once best acknowledged as miserabilist masters of trip-hop. However, they are not now as ubiquitous as they once were in their mid-90s heyday when debut album, Dummy, and its 1997 follow-up P provided the soundtrack to a million middle-class dinner-parties. Their new album, the magnificent Third, is a masterwork far too dark and noisy for such an environment.
The group's fans have endured an eleven year wait for new songs, of which 'The Rip' is one of the finest taken from their aptly-named, aforementioned new album. Barrow, Gibbons and Utley now have a combined age of 131. They obviously aren't ones for rushing things.
It's best to approach the song with a pinch of the patience that Portishead are so obviously fond of. There will be no howling guitar solos here. 'The Rip' starts off with a soft acoustic refrain, accompanied by a beautifully undulating vocal motif. Once settled into the gentle atmosphere of the track, it's easier to appreciate it for what it is; a slow-burning showcase for Beth Gibbon's sumptuous vocals. The lyrics are hauntingly poetic. As she sings of "white horses taking me away" it's hard not to feel swept along yourself by the raw emotion of it all and the galloping keyboards that shower the track in shimmering melody.
This is reserved, sensitive, and contemporary pop, best suited to late-night solitary drives and quiet moments of reflection. If that sounds like your cup of tea, then Bristol's best musical export have delivered again.
Artists in this article: Portishead
Your Feedback
Login to post your comment