Portishead is decidedly not a group like others. Third, its, well, third opus, is proof positive. Fourteen years after their first album - which played in every ideal nightspot - their opiate of neurasthenic hip-hop tinted soul has again made its way onto the scene. Wary of all commercial outlets, the creation of the three acolytes (Beth Gibbons, Goeff Barrow and Adrian Utley) pays no heed to convention. At the brink of industrial sound, Portishead uses melancholy as audio architecture: Barrow and Utley seem to make chilliness vibrate physically in their melodies. Their experimentations call to mind those of producer Martin Hannett (Joy Division). It rings metallic and garage, yet the album stays fundamentally human. Disconcerting upon the first listen, Third quickly reveals an absolute beauty. BJ
10°
