Portugal. The Man – In The Mountain In The Cloud album review
Josh is a writer, a musician, an outdoorsman and a visionary with dreams of a world confident enough in its own creativity to be expressive and revolutionary.
Since inception in 2004, Portugal. The Man have been aging like a fine wine, showing noticeable improvement with each new project they undergo. On July 19th, 2011, the band released their 6th studio full-length entitled, In The Mountain In The Cloud on Atlantic Records in cooperation with guitarist/producer John Hill. With a new label, a perfected and experienced lineup and a new producer, the resulting album is both reassuring and artfully crafted.
Too often bands reach a major record deal and find their sound sacrificed for the sake of mass appeal, but Portugal. The Man will surely find no such fate. Compared to earlier releases (especially sophomore album, Church Mouth) this project shows favorable musical maturity and cohesive songwriting and compilation while also maintaining refreshing diversity. For a while, back in 2007, I was of the opinion that this band was little more than a few weird kids out of Portland with serious hard-ons for Led Zeppelin, and though hints of that influence still peak through from time to time this is clearly a group of artists who are have found a sound all their own.
From the almost-ska brass section on “Everything You See” to the sincerely original melodic lead guitar on album closer, “Sleep Forever,” nothing about this release feels like a sell-out or gimmick, nor does it feel like their copying their influences. Furthermore, “Got It All” reminded me of a combination of classic rock and retro-pop ensemble The Magic Numbers while “Head Is A Flame” is reminiscent of ambient noise and stacked, high-pitched vocals so common among Shins records.
Also apparent on this release is the much-needed shift in sonic production. Whereas previous records could be quite literally painful to listen to, this album maintains their signature lo-fi sound without tearing your ears apart in the process.
From it’s diversity and appreciable progress to the masterful ease with which Portugal. The Man pulls off every single track this album is proof that this is a band guaranteed to illustrate longevity and success in all ventures they pursue.
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