THIRD

Mercury Records

It’s been more than a decade between studio releases by British trip-hop pioneers Portishead, but the dramatic gap in time hasn’t sapped any of the trio’s freshness or creativity.

“Third” serves up more stylish noir rock that, like fellow Brit band Radiohead’s body of work, can be at times difficult to quickly digest but is ultimately worth the investment. The album begins with “Silence,” which starts off like an experimental, instrumental jam, with a careening, downhill drumbeat and ragged guitars. Two minutes in, the cacophony drops out to reveal Beth Gibbons’ signature haunting, longing voice to create a distinct “They’re back” moment.

The album is bursting with paradox. On the twisted torch song “Hunter,” which belongs in a David Lynch film, Gibbons’ witchy yet vulnerable vocals are offset by massive, bending “Iron Man-”like distorted guitar riffs. The looping, chiming guitars and hypnotic beat of “Nylon Smile” somehow perfectly match Gibbons’ Sylvia Plath self-doubt: “I’d like to laugh at what you said/ But I just can’t find a smile.” The fractured fairy tale “The Rip,” given extra eeriness by purposefully flawed guitar picking, leads into an unexpected, breathtaking electro-synth race.

— Michael Hamersly,

The Miami Herald