Album Rating: 4.5

Probably has to do with the Summer Holidays just after release date.



And Sput dying of course.

Album Rating: 4.5

Still jam this regularly. Amazing album.

Album Rating: 4.5

Yeah one of this year's best. Closer is outstanding, that violin (?) loop that resembles rusty bike sounds just gets straight into my soul.

Album Rating: 4.0

yeah, admittedly I listened to this a bazillion times, then burnt out on it pretty quickly

felt like it just needed a break, y'know

Still wonderful mind

Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound Off

Absolutely amazing album.

Album Rating: 4.0

Yup. It’s got legs.

Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound Off

I’ve had to 5 it.

Vinyl on earlier, looking at me garden and thinking I’ll have to rake the leaves.

‘Oceans’ came on and a further thought struck me of ‘Christ, this is fucking amazing’ and then the fiddle bit on ‘For Sale’ came in

Album Rating: 4.5

THE BUUUUUUURDEN OF LIFEEEEEE JUST WON'T LEEEAAAAVE ME ALLOOLOOOONE

Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off

I'll revisit this...but currently it's 'technically impressive cold fish of the year' for me.



Even The Smile is a little similar - bit standoffish and frosty to really bond with.



Compare to the new Cure album that has warmth and emotional resonance from the off.

Album Rating: 4.5

I should probably get on that one.



I'm with Zak though. Borderline 5 album for me.

Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off

I'll go back to this and try and headphone listen to it more...I think it suffered coming out with a deluge of interesting albums at the same time.

Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound Off

It just hits. Beth has always had one of those voices that resonates but couple it with the instrumentation on this thing and it is impeccable.



The Cure is the pinnacle of headphone albums, this is a shove it on, potter about and stop you in your tracks job.

Album Rating: 4.5

Her voice mixed with horror-esque atmosphere is just perfect. She's amazing in Portishead (duh) but I honestly feel that this minimal/folky style just suits her.

Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off

I have to admit I prefer her with the symphonic melodrama of Portishead, I like her voice but it's a strange 'folk vocal'...like I said this is v good but in this context she's in the doof field of folk/chamber, and there's a lot of folk vocalists out there, and a lot are absolute masters of the form.

Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound Off

I’m with ya Hawks man.

She was born for this.

Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off

She was born for the first two Portishead albums, she showed some impressive range especially on the second album - Bjork to the most witchy of the witchy to torch song Bond theme big vocal to the absolute delicate melancholy of 'Undenied' etc



She'll never top that stuff/performance - but I do like this.

Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound Off

Glory Box is the one isn’t it but with this folk style you have to cobble together twigs and make offerings at Harvest Festival or be damned.

Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off

Vocal performance 'Glory Box' is top but I'd rate a load of Portishead songs above it. Top 10 for me would be something like:



- Roads

- Undenied

- We Carry On

- Wandering Star

- Humming

- Machine Gun

- Sour Times

- Over

- The Rip

- Only You

Album Rating: 4.0

Yeah this really suits her, great stylistic shift of sorts

Comparing it to Portishead is unhelpful but Beth does deliver a couple of all time vocal performances here for sure (Burden of Life, Oceans).

Album Rating: 4.5

Burden of Life is probably my SOTY.