Crushed!

(mixed with lust)

Wilting for that sweet desire,

Waiting for a reciprocated smile...

Body grins like a fool

Against the bickering mind's soul

A crescent smirk

Stains a star struck gaze

Hearing only open space,

Littered with your taste

I don't have to lose my eyes to see

That a fool's heart

Wanders blindly.

1,2,Three

photo courtesy of: Wonders In the Dark

Three words: ethereal, heavy, and mental- which sum up Portishead's third studio album, fittingly titled, "Third." A departure from the lo-fi turntable scratching and jazzy undertones heard in "Dummy" and "Portishead," "Third" still exudes their signature broody lyrics yet with an instrumental twist. Gibbons' notorious witchy voice is replaced with sinister organ synthesizers and booming, rolling bass complementing her melancholic, siren soprano vocals accompanied with acoustic instruments.

The balance of delicacy and boldness throughout the album is delivered in tracks such as the lazy-afternoon-in-the-hammock "Deep Water," where Gibbons' strained soprano pitch embellishes the harmonizing, deep baritone of a barber-shop-quartet.
The celestial plucks of the acoustic guitar in "The Rip" bring the listener to a dream in her own reality. Gibbons' delicate (almost fading) vocals stretch to a light whisper as the deep synthesizer tones bring the song to a run creating a whimsical feeling of solemn and hope at the same time. Contrarily, "Machine Gun" blasts a heavy staccato synth which perfectly complement Gibbons' pleading pitch.

"Third" is an experimental heap of different sounds and textures all while maintaining a symbiosis of boisterous back beats and ethereal melodies that can easily be missed the first time. Aptly named, this album is meant to be listened to not once or twice but Three times.