Portugal. The Man Albums (4)
'The Satanic Satanist'
Release Date 7/21/2009
Tracks 11
Label Equal Vision
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
For Portugal. The Man's sixth release in only four years, The Satanic Satanist, the band tones down the progressive leanings demonstrated on Church Mouth, and instead, goes for a straight forward, pop approach. With no song extending much longer than four minutes, John Gourley's bright falsetto matches up with breezy harmonies in a Band of Horses/ My Morning Jacket way while the synthesized instrumentation takes a page from MGMT. The slick electro direction is a pleasant change, although it may be a little disconcerting to fans who appreciate the more indulgent side of PTM. For The Satanic Satanist, they walk away from the playgrounds of their past (which included emo, art-folk, and indie rock) and try their hand at chamber pop by filtering their music through a reverby wash, embracing electronica, and elaborately layering stacks of tracks. Reputed producer Paul Q. Kolderie (Radiohead, Belly, Lemonheads) gives the sound a crystal sparkle, which, paired with the mellow vibe of the album, makes The Satanic Satanist one of the groups' most accessible and easily digestible to date. ~ Jason Lymangrover, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Wasilla, AK, received a great deal of attention in 2008 as the city where VP candidate Sarah Palin once served as mayor, and as a place with a terrible crystal meth problem. Wasilla is also the city that gave listeners Portugal. The Man -- an alternative pop/rock outfit that has had a lot of potential but hasn't always been consistent. Censored Colors, it turns out, is their most consistent and memorable album (certainly as of 2008), and this 53-minute CD finds Portugal. The Man sounding more focused and decisive without sacrificing their experimental nature. The Alaskans have tried different things on different releases; on Censored Colors, their approach is best described as alternative pop/rock with theatrical leanings and elements of progressive rock, psychedelic rock, and soul. Rock musicals are an influence -- Portugal. The Man's members sound like have been checking out Tommy and Hair -- as are artists ranging from Pink Floyd to Radiohead to the Beatles (the gift that keeps on giving). But Portugal. The Man never sound confused on Censored Colors; they had some growing and developing to do, and they show a lot of growth as a band on this 2008 release. That is not to say that Censored Colors isn't self-indulgent at times, but the album's excesses are not a major problem -- and overall, Censored Colors leaves listeners with a favorable impression of the band. Censored Colors is a definite step forward for Portugal. The Man. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Church Mouth -- Portugal. The Man's second album -- is a dense hard rock collection on which singer/songwriter John Gourley wails in a high-pitched tenor, sometimes rising to falsetto over the rough, frequently changing rhythms of bassist Zach Carothers and drummer Jason Sechrist. The band's sound recalls Led Zeppelin on occasion, although the closest antecedent is early Jane's Addiction, not only in the clashing sounds of the instruments, but also in Gourley's vocal similarity to Perry Farrell. Gourley actually employs overlapping voices, sometimes in harmonies and countermelodies, with Carothers and Sechrist joining in. His lyrics are hard to make out much of the time, largely because of the mix and the arrangements, but also because he rarely phrases for meaning; the songs sound like they began as rhythm tracks, with the words added only at the end and fitted in over the music. A lyric sheet was provided (at least with advance review copies of the album) but making sense of what Gourley is trying to say is no easier by actually reading the words. There's plenty of religious and nature imagery, and plenty of references to the South (of course, if you're from Alaska, as Gourley is, the entire continental U.S. is south of you), but not much in the way of literal meaning. Consider "Shade," which begins, "claims, they crawled from those clouds and/over mountains cried/into the streams where they ran the length of/past and time that called out/with their hands beside you as all the people/shouted up to the/'northern' territories." This is an album with a lot of lyrics, but most of them are like this example, seemingly stream-of-consciousness impressions expressed in run-on sentences. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
'Waiter: "You Vultures!"'
Release Date 1/1/2006
Tracks 13
Label Fearless
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Waiter: "You Vultures!" is an album decidedly of its time. Its pretentious title, punctuated as if ripped from a screenplay, should give most listeners an idea of what to expect. The album sees Portugal. The Man suffering or benefiting from an identity crisis. They seem unable to determine if they want to be a fractured art rock ensemble à la Blonde Redhead and Shudder to Think, a dance-oriented electro-indie act like Tahiti 80 and Phoenix, or a progressive-minded mood merchant like the Notwist. Along the way, piano ballads and screaming rants intersect, as the band rocks and stumbles like an uneasy mix of the aforementioned bands, crafting frequently catchy songs. John Baldwin Gourley offers mostly pleasant 1970s dance vocals. When Portugal. The Man stick to mellow post-rock, it's somewhat smooth sailing, but they tend to take themselves too seriously. ~ Tim DiGravina, All Music Guide
