Review Summary: “The only faith we have is faith in us”
In a year which has proven to be stacked with prominent releases, it’s pretty hard to get me really excited for a new Portugal. The Man, LP. While consistency has always been the biggest strength of the Portland based indie rockers, to me, it also has been their biggest downfall. Every album by them had some really great songs and hooks on it, but they never managed to pull everything together and release a consistently great effort. Their fourth studio Album, “The Satanic Satanist”, probably came closest to hitting the mark, but looking back on it now, “The Satanic Satanist” had one or two too many songs on it that just felt like the band tried to imitate the Beatles as close as possible. On top of that the band went through a serious lineup change with both keyboardist Ryan Neighbors and Drummer Jason Sechrist leaving. And while Portugal. The Man always felt like the brainchild of John Gourley and Zachary Carothers, (both former “anatomy of a ghost” members) it’s always a risk to change the lineup. Not only did I have pretty mixed feelings about the band, but also about the much hyped collaboration between Portugal. The Man and eccentric Producer Danger Mouse, who fell into the same category of “hit and miss artist” for me. While I certainly enjoyed some of his songs, I never heard a consistently good work by him. The fact that Danger Mouse turned the project down at first, stating that he had no plans to produce a rock album right now, left me wondering if he was really invested in the first place, or just cashing in and going through the motions, when he finally decided to team up with the band. So I didn’t really knew what to expect from the seventh album, “Evil Friends” when I finally got around to listening to it.
I’m cutting to the chase now and say right up front that Danger Mouse is not only invested in this album, he is all over it. It seems like the band gave him a whole lot of freedom and since he initially was reluctant to produce a rock album he subsequently turned “Evil Friends” into an album that mostly consists of indie pop gems. Most of the songs are also very reminiscent of Danger Mouse’s earlier works. A few seconds into Opener "Plastic Soldiers" will make you want to chant “The High Road” by Broken Bells. Pay close attention to the bleepydibleeb synth riff on “Modern Jesus” and you will expect Cee Lo Green to come in for a feature at some point. But while his glimmering synth’s do sound pretty familiar from the get go they are certainly new to the recipe when it comes to the work of Portugal. The Man and it’s working out very nicely. The Band brings some great melodies and catchy choruses to the table, as well as the usual variety of instruments a longtime listener came to expect from them. Danger Mouse infuses a slightly electronic, very modern sounding touch, to many of the songs which really serves them well. As a result most of the songs on this album are slightly wonky and quirky songs with a big poppy heart. Although the band does mix it up a little in the second half of the album with songs like the majestic “Sea of Air” (which is yet another very Beatlesesque song by them, or am I the only one who thought "hey jude" immediately) and the closer “Smile” which deviate from the main style on this album, but never sound out of place.
“Evil Friends” has a very positive upbeat vibe to it and while it’s very much simplified compared to some of the previous efforts, it does not hurt the quality of the album at all. More streamlined and accessible than ever, the Band retains enough personality while also upping the fun factor a lot. Over the course of the twelve tracks there is rarely a dull moment at all. It’s just hard to not get hooked by all the great choruses, catchy melodies, combined with those toe-tapping rhythms and the electronic antics by Danger Mouse. Lead single “Atomic Man” is a great example of the expertly crafted indie pop you’ll find on this album, opening with a riff that will instantly get stuck into your head, a memorable chorus and such a positive vibe that you will sing along lines like: “After you, hell will be easy” with a big grin on your face. Speaking of the lyrics, Portugal. The Man always had a tendency to craft pretty dark and bleak lyrics and put them into warm sounding and upbeat songs, just think back to “Work all Day” on “The Satanic Satanist”. And it’s no different here; juxtapositioning the upbeat and downright happy vibe of the music with lyrics which are often filled with pretty dark themes works very well. Especially given that Frontman John Gourley gives a pleasing performance and continues to be a confident and convincing lead singer.
To sum it up, Portugal. The Man really picked up the pieces on this album, with the help of the Danger Mouse they created an insanely catchy and enjoyable summer album, which will inevitably creep its way into your brain, once it gets a hold of you. On the downside it has to be mentioned, that most of the songs, like almost all pop music, heavily rely on reeling you in with hooks, so if for some reason a song simply doesn’t manage do that, the song gets old very fast. Title Track “Evil Friends” in particular just didn’t hit home with me and is the low point on an otherwise superb album.
