Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2004 | 13:26
beth gibbons - out of season
'out of season' is not portishead. for starters, it seems to be all live instruments. also, beth gibbons' singing is more natural and less affected than on portishead albums. because the music is more organic and less beat-oriented, she gets to ebb and flow and play with the rhythm. that's a change. i hope the next portishead album, should there ever be one, takes into account this approach. i also like the way the production incorporates a lot of ambient noise, like the internal shifting of a piano during 'show', or something i can't place that makes the album feel as though one is part of a live studio audience. it's weird, i can almost picture the 60's-style television set where we'd sit and watch her perform. the strings would be hidden away some place, and the band just off to the side so you'd focus on ms. gibbons, which is exactly what the tv camera would do.
