Third (Portishead album)
| Untitled | |
|---|---|
Third is the third studio album by English musical group Portishead, released on April 28 2008 on Island Records in the UK and on April 29 2008 on Mercury Records in the US (see 2008 in music). It represents a departure from their previous trip hop sound into a darker, rawer, more industrial style. It is their first release in 10 years, and their first studio album in 11 years. Equaling the performance of their first two studio albums in their native United Kingdom, Third entered the UK Album Chart at #2, and became the band's first ever U.S. Top 10 album on the Billboard 200, reaching #7 in its entry week.
Track listing
All songs written by Geoff Barrow, Beth Gibbons and Adrian Utley unless otherwise noted.
- "Silence" – 4:59
- "Hunter" – 3:57
- "Nylon Smile" – 3:16
- "The Rip" – 4:30
- "Plastic" – 3:27
- "We Carry On" – 6:27
- "Deep Water" – 1:39
- "Machine Gun" (Barrow/Gibbons) – 4:43
- "Small" – 6:45
- "Magic Doors" (Barrow/Gibbons/John Baggot) – 3:32
- "Threads" – 5:47
Singles
The first single released from Third was "Machine Gun", which made its radio and download debut on March 18 2008. It premiered on Zane Lowe's Radio 1 show and was made available for download on the band's official website. A UK one-sided 12 inch vinyl was released on April 14 2008.[1] A promotional video for the song "The Rip" was also premiered on the bands official website on May 12, 2008, preceding its physical release on June 9. We Carry On is expected to be released on September 1.
Background
In December, 2007, during the All Tomorrow's Parties festival in Minehead, England, Portishead played their first full live set in 10 years, featuring five new songs—"Hunter", "Machine Gun", "Wicca" (retitled as "Silence") "Mystic" (retitled as "The Rip") and "Peaches" (retitled as "We Carry On") which appear on Third.[2]
Promotion
On April 21, one week before the album's official release, all of Third was made available as a free web stream on Last.fm[3].
Reception
Upon its release, Third was generally very well received by critics. PopMatters gave the album a 9/10, saying "History will eventually see it rank on par with the rest of their legendary works".
Wireless Bollinger, which gave the album 93/100, said that "while Third is, undoubtedly, the most stubbornly difficult, and least accessible of Portishead’s three albums, those willing to give it repeat listens will find themselves rewarded by an album which will, in time, sit comfortably alongside Dummy as one of the greatest albums of their genre."[4]
All Music Guide called the album "utterly riveting and endlessly absorbing" in their review of the album, which they gave a 4.5/5. The publication also went on to say:
It demands attention, requiring effort on the part of the listener, as this defies any conventions on what constitutes art pop apart from one key tenet, one that is often attempted yet rarely achieved: it offers music that is genuinely, startlingly original.
The album was also praised by fellow band Radiohead, who called it "incredible", "mental", and "their best record so far". [5]
Charts
References
- ^ "Portishead Reveal Third single, Box Set details". pitchforkmedia.com. Retrieved 2008-03-20.
- ^ Setlist from ATP concert (.jpg)
- ^ "Portishead launch album online". BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat. Retrieved 2008-04-27.
- ^ http://www.wirelessbollinger.com/content/view/1439/81/
- ^ http://www.ateaseweb.com/2008/05/08/radiohead-portishead-and-britney/
- ^ Hasty, Katy (2008-05-07). "Madonna Leads Busy Billboard 200 With 7th No. 1". Billboard magazine. Retrieved 2008-05-07.
- ^ Williams, John (2008-05-07). "Madonna's 'Candy' hits No. 1". Canoe.ca. Retrieved 2008-05-07.
External links
- Third on Last.fm.
- Free listen to Third.
- Third full boxset details on Discogs.