PortisheadBest Portishead Albums Ranked

Dummy

pitchfork

9.5

“Portishead’s 1994 debut is a masterwork of downbeat and desperation. They invented their own kind of virtuosity, one that encompassed musicianship, technology, and aura.”

Third

pitchfork

8.8

“As radical reinventions go, Third-- the first Portishead studio album since 1997-- is surprisingly natural. Darker and bleaker lyrically than their previous work, Third is a sort of re-debut-- the band's sound after it has excised every possible remnant of trip-hop from it.”

Dummy

rollingstone

8.0

“From tape loops and live strings, Fender Rhodes riffing and angelic singing, these English subversives construct très hip Gothic hip-hop. A junkie for smoky atmosphere, keyboardist Geoff Barrow selects offbeat samples (Johnny Ray, Lalo Schifrin, Wayne Shorter) while Beth Gibbons croons through the intentional murk, copping glamorous Astrud Gilberto attitude. Songs like "Roads," "Glory Box" […]”

Third

Gunnar

6.1

“**💭 Thoughts:** Portishead’s 2008 studio album *Third*, released just over a decade after their self-titled sophomore album, has the trio continuing to embrace the trip-hop sound that they had pioneered throughout their career, however this time around, it feels lacking. While I don’t believe *Third* is necessarily a bad album, I feel as if it pales in comparison to their previous two. I noticed frequently throughout this record that most of the tracks are somewhat underwhelming, with nothing really captivating me like their previous two albums, both of which could do effortlessly. The album isn’t necessarily bad, like I said before, however I’d personally rather listen to their other records for a more captivating, consistent, and enjoyable listen. **🎶 Tracklist Review** 1.) Silence 🟢🥉 2.) Hunter 🟢🥈 3.) Nylon Smile 🟢 4.) The Rip 🟢 5.) Plastic 🟡 6.) We Carry On 🟡 7.) Deep Water 🟠 8.) Machine Gun 🟠 9.) Small 🟢🥇 10.) Magic Doors 🟡 11.) Threads 🟢 ──────────────────── **🤔 Track Rating Scale** 🔵 Loved — Thoroughly enjoyed it and will revisit often. 🟢 Liked — Enjoyed it, but it’s not one I’d revisit often. 🟡 Mixed — Enjoyed it somewhat, but some aspects held it back for me; most likely won’t revisit. 🟠 Disliked — Didn’t enjoy it very much; won’t be revisiting. 🔴 Hated — Didn’t enjoy any part of it; no desire to revisit ever again. ⚪️ Interlude, etc. — Not rated as an actual song. ──────────────────── **🏅 Ranking Scale** 10 — Perfect 9 — Exceptional 8 — Great 7 — Good 6 — Decent 5 — Average 4 — Below Average 3 — Poor 2 — Bad 1 — Awful 0 — Unlistenable”

Dummy

Gunnar

10

“**💭 Thoughts:** The contrast between Beth Gibbons’s fragile and haunting vocals with the atmospheric, brooding, and ethereal trip-hop instrumentals is one of the greatest things that have ever grazed my ears. This album is definitely without a doubt in my top 10 of all time. **🎶 Tracklist Review** 1.) Mysterons 🔵🥇 2.) Sour Times 🔵 3.) Strangers 🔵🥉 4.) It Could Be Sweet 🟢 5.) Wandering Star 🔵 6.) It’s a Fire 🟢 7.) Numb 🔵 8.) Roads 🔵 9.) Pedestal 🔵 10.) Biscuit 🔵🥈 11.) Glory Box 🔵 ──────────────────── **🤔 Track Rating Scale** 🔵 Loved — Thoroughly enjoyed it and will revisit often. 🟢 Liked — Enjoyed it, but it’s not one I’d revisit often. 🟡 Mixed — Enjoyed it somewhat, but some aspects held it back for me; most likely won’t revisit. 🟠 Disliked — Didn’t enjoy it very much; won’t be revisiting. 🔴 Hated — Didn’t enjoy any part of it; no desire to revisit ever again. ⚪️ Interlude, etc. — Not rated as an actual song. ──────────────────── **🏅 Ranking Scale** 10 — Perfect 9 — Exceptional 8 — Great 7 — Good 6 — Decent 5 — Average 4 — Below Average 3 — Poor 2 — Bad 1 — Awful 0 — Unlistenable”

Portishead

Gunnar

9.8

“**💭 Thoughts:** Portishead’s 1997 self-titled album brings the same level of complexity as their debut, *Dummy*, expanding on the band’s signature sound. This album is an incredible follow-up, filled with amazing songs, and I’ll definitely be coming back to it for a long time. **🎶 Tracklist Review** 1.) Cowboys 🔵🥇 2.) All Mine 🔵 3.) Undenied 🔵 4.) Half Day Closing 🟢 5.) Over 🔵 6.) Humming 🔵 7.) Mourning Air 🔵 8.) Seven Months 🔵 9.) Only You 🔵🥉 10.) Elysium 🔵🥈 11.) Western Eyes 🟢 ──────────────────── **🤔 Track Rating Scale** 🔵 Loved — Thoroughly enjoyed it and will revisit often. 🟢 Liked — Enjoyed it, but it’s not one I’d revisit often. 🟡 Mixed — Enjoyed it somewhat, but some aspects held it back for me; most likely won’t revisit. 🟠 Disliked — Didn’t enjoy it very much; won’t be revisiting. 🔴 Hated — Didn’t enjoy any part of it; no desire to revisit ever again. ⚪️ Interlude, etc. — Not rated as an actual song. ──────────────────── **🏅 Ranking Scale** 10 — Perfect 9 — Exceptional 8 — Great 7 — Good 6 — Decent 5 — Average 4 — Below Average 3 — Poor 2 — Bad 1 — Awful 0 — Unlistenable”