Welcome to LivingSocial: Albums

Portishead became an instant favorite of mine when "Dummy" magically appeared in the early 90s, but I became a rabid fan based on what came next-- the most amazing B-Sides and remixes known to man.

Their 2nd CD was actually a bit of a mis-step to my ears. Some of those tunes found new life on the live CD, but it was still a bit inferior in my ears to the original flavor.

With "Third", the band that was dis-banded for so long has been reconstituted in a big way. The new ... (show more)

Portishead became an instant favorite of mine when "Dummy" magically appeared in the early 90s, but I became a rabid fan based on what came next-- the most amazing B-Sides and remixes known to man.

Their 2nd CD was actually a bit of a mis-step to my ears. Some of those tunes found new life on the live CD, but it was still a bit inferior in my ears to the original flavor.

With "Third", the band that was dis-banded for so long has been reconstituted in a big way. The new material is distinctively Portishead but without using the now-cliche loops and scratches that was their signature on "Dummy". They've achieved a brilliant balance of beauty & dissonance. Lush and humorous when you least expect it; minimal when it's most effective. They sound much more like a band than they ever did.

Brilliant. I am truly in awe of how this record preserves the spirit of the band while exploring so much new territory. Brilliant! (show less)

"Sometimes you get the bear, sometimes the bear gets you." Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers decided to open their newest release with the title track "Bear" and it sets the tone for the rest of the album. The attitude and theme of this record is that sometimes life is not always pretty, but that is just how it is. That is one about SK6ers that is admirable: they look at life exactly how it is. They offer up plenty of advice for getting through the rough stretches in "Se... (show more)

"Sometimes you get the bear, sometimes the bear gets you." Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers decided to open their newest release with the title track "Bear" and it sets the tone for the rest of the album. The attitude and theme of this record is that sometimes life is not always pretty, but that is just how it is. That is one about SK6ers that is admirable: they look at life exactly how it is. They offer up plenty of advice for getting through the rough stretches in "See Yourself" and "Oh Adeline". In "See Yourself", Stephen Kellogg begs a person down on themselves to "see themselves" through the eyes of someone that loves them. Both songs had the potential to be corny and sappy love songs, but Kellogg makes them work with an everyday kind of grit. One thing that Stephen Kellogg is great at is making everyday cliches sound completely original.

Fun songs like "Shady Esperanto and the Young Hearts" will certainty attract the attention of the "crowd", but song displays this "life is not always pretty" theme. At one point in the song he says "it's not the way I thought it'd be, it's not what I was told, I got a young heart and I don't want to get old."

Another great thing about this record is that they cover life from more than one perspective. In songs like "My Old Man", "Dying Wish of a Teenager" and "All Part of the Show", this story is told through the perspective of a young adult. "Satisfied Man", "Born in the Spring" and "Lonely in Columbus" are told from the perspective of a grown man with a family and kids. Being on the road has definitely affected this band as it is shown those songs.

Now fans that got hooked onto this band from "Start the Day Early" may be disappointed that more of these songs don't sound like that. This record seems more like a sequel to "Glassjaw Boxer" than anything else. So fans of "4th of July" or "Milwaukee" may love it. This record does have a little more of a country-like flavor to it that may surprise some. This is a great record and it my take a few listens to get used to it, but this is definitely a strong piece of work. It is a gritty look at life through all walks of life. (show less)