Friends. We know, we get it, 4 years and 10 days have gone by since we put a record out. 35280 hours. A. Fucking. Eternity. We’ve been growing, getting stronger, claws sharper. We wanted to give you our best. So here it is- WOODSTOCK, our ten finest. From us to you. Thank you for riding along with us. We’re all in this together.
Evil Friends was the last album from Alaska-formed band, Portugal. The Man. Ever since their debut in 2006 – Waiter: “You Vultures!” – they have amassed a loyal fanbase and grown in stature. Evil Friends found the band collaborating with Danger Mouse. Their eight album, Woodstock, shares many ideas and sounds with Evil Friends but is a tighter and tauter thing – boasting one of the best album covers of the year. It does not take long for the magic of the album to take hold: Number One features Richie Havens Son Little and is a song that transports you to a good-time bar in the Deep South. In fact, the kick of the drums and funky bass get the body moving and the head nodding. “Sometimes I feel like a motherless child” becomes a coda and one that creates curiosity. The stomping and funky composition reminds me, a bit, of The Black Keys. The band throws a lot of different sounds into the mix. It is a big and ambitious opening but one that will remain in the head. The need to separate themselves from their previous albums and try something new is evident.
The guys step more into commercial waters but do not lose who they are. Live in the Moment has bellicose drums and a huge chorus. The sheer size and scope of the entire album is stunning. Uplifting and unifying choruses like this get the voice ringing. So much detail goes into the song and it is one that carries you away with it. Feel It Still is the Prince song that never was: a funked-up and sexy number that pouts its lips and shakes it hips. It shows how Portugal. The Man are unwilling to tread old ground and keep things fresh. This mobile and forward-thinking approach does not always work but shows they are keen to create something new.
Some have commented how the band is priming themselves more for the mainstream than the underground. Given the fact they are on their eight album means they do not need to get under the critical lens – they are a popular act and do not need to prove themselves. Rich Friends is, perhaps, a misjudged effort that sounds like it should be blasting from BBC Radio 1. It has some good moments but cannot shake itself past chart ambitions. I have mentioned artists like The Black Keys but it would be them on a bad day. Despite some occasional spells of pleasure; it seems like a track destined to open the next episode of Made in Chelsea. Keep On is a more satisfying song and one that gets things back on a keen footing. Its sweet and effusive harmonies melt with robotic electronic vocal lines and a summery vibe – perfect for the warm weather we are experiencing. Fat Lip lends his talents to Mr. Lonely: one of the most intriguing tracks on the album. Distorted and processed vocals provide creepiness and unsettle. Percussion and bass provide a strong backbone but it is a song that will split the audience. The Portugal. The Man faithful might feel it is an experimentation too far but it will bring new listener in. It departs a little from their past work but retains those distinctive vocals and ambitious songwriting. The chorus has groove and seems like a song ready for the festivals.
Noise Pollution closes things and sees, oddly, Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Zoe Manville appear – a bold but effective recruitment. Hard-edged and pulsating: one of the highlights and a great way to end the album. There are warm compositional notes that effortlessly sit with the edgier and tenser elements. It shows the contrasts and contradiction that make Woodstock such a pleasure. Noise Pollution is unlike anything on the album but distinctly the work of Portugal. The Man. There is so much going on but it never feels overwhelming. If you want something that follows the path of previous Portugal. The Man albums then you will have to look elsewhere. There are familiar elements but this is the sound of a band trying something new and aiming for new audiences. Some of the songs do not hit the mark – there are some odd and forgettable inclusions – but, for the most part, it is a fascinating and jam-packed album from a band with plenty more left to say.
Band Members: John Baldwin Gourley, Zachary Scott Carothers, Kyle O’Quin, Jason Sechrist
The Fat Angel Sings 