Release Date: July 19, 2011
Portugal. The Man is an assemblage of freaky, psychedelic melody makers who have been hovering around the music world for damn near a decade. Their sound bears no equal, their stage presence is captivating and their latest record, In The Mountain In The Cloud, is at a caliber to be considered a torch passed on from acts like The Flaming Lips. Every track on Portugal’s latest record screams depth and intensity. Since their move to Atlantic Records last year, they’ve crossed a barrier where their sound is more refined and their presence on the scene is bigger.
They never seemed like the type of band who would need to make the hurdle to a big label like Atlantic: they’ve already got a robust fan base, their earlier works usually fair well within rock and other experimental cliques, and they have no real heartburn with early leaks of their albums—something major labels have zero tolerance for. All things considered, it is a good fit thus far and has yielded some serious success for the band from Portland, Ore., by way of Alaska.
This album is completely overcome with strains that it’s easy to stroll through the record exclusively without giving the lyrics a second thought. One could just sing along to the choruses and have a blast while doing so. The untried rhythms are catchy and the flow conjures feelings of exasperation through high energy and profound thought.
The most intriguing part of In The Mountain In The Cloud is the poetic leitmotifs and their place within the music. All of these songs have a chorus that one can sing along to. They are blissful and even victorious. But when one actually thinks about the lyrics, they give an air of someone unsure of themselves, like in the tune “Got It All (This Can’t Be Living Now),” or even a little lost in the world, such as in the song “Senseless.”
Their big label polished sound comes out in this album, though. Their responsiveness toward a more pop-driven sound is still here but cultured enough to prove this is the next step in Portugal’s collection.
Censored Colors was steered into the prog-rock genre, while The Satanic Satanist was a tried, tested and true psychedelic record, their latest effort indisputably has a Bowie-esque appeal to it through and through.
“All Your Light (Times Like These)” is a fantastic tune in this creation that defines an unstoppable future for Portugal. The Man. They’ve made seven albums in six years, which is an impressive résumé for such a growing mainstay in the psychedelic/experimental genre. With each year of recording, their panache changes and their sound morphs into a clearer aural concept.
There is always a moment when a killer band such as Portugal. The Man signs with a major label where fans hold their breath. The expectations are higher from the label and thus throw a band with a good thing going off track. Luckily, Portugal has made the transition in stride and has maintained a base of excellent talent and style and has transformed their sound in a perfectly progressive way. There is no doubt that any future endeavor in the studio will yield equally as impressive results.
Portugal. The Man – In The Mountain In The Cloud Tracklist:
- “So American”
- “Floating (Time Isn’t Working My Side)”
- “Got It All (This Can’t Be Living Now)”
- “Senseless”
- “Head Is A Flame (Cool With It)”
- “You Carried Us (Share With Me The Sun)”
- “Everything You See (Kids Count Hallelujahs)”
- “All Your Light (Times Like These)”
- “Once Was One”
- “Share With Me The Sun”
- “Sleep Forever”
