My life as a concertgoer changed forever on October 18, 2009. Four months after hearing the last five minutes of their set at Bonnaroo, I decided to shell out $16 to see Portugal. The Man play their live set in its entirety to a full house at the Paradise.
I’m still wondering what about that five minutes at Bonnaroo piqued my interest enough to the point of spending money on ticket to a band I knew next to nothing about. Sixteen dollars is a small fortune to me. With that much money I could buy a pizza, a week’s worth of groceries (I eat economically) or five bottles of Trader Joe’s wine.
As soon as Portugal. The Man took the stage I awoke from my reverie of what ifs, and stood mouth agape for the better part of two hours. Following the release of their 2009 album, The Satanic Satanist, Portugal. The Man pulled a slew of songs ranging from every part of their discography, melding each offering into the next, creating very few breaks in their set.
Nearly two years and an album later, Portugal. The Man is preparing to release their seventh studio album, In the Mountain in the Cloud. The band produced the album themselves, and it is at first listen a mere continued exploration of the sound created by the band on The Satanic Satanist.
The opening number, “So American,” opens softly, with lead singer and guitarist John Gourley’s voice intermingling with a soft piano and a string section. It is an anthem to say the least, and while melodic and catchy, comes across as somewhat bland at first.
The next offering, “Floating (Time Isn’t Working My Side),” is more exciting, features a screeching electric guitar part, Gourley’s specialty, and is immediately distinguishable as one of the band’s new tracks that will seamlessly become a staple of their live repertoire.
“Got It All (This Can’t Be Living Now) is in the same vein as the lead off track, heavy on vocal harmonies and falling back on a string section. However, Portugal came closer to finding a balance with this number, as Gourley rips an impressive lead guitar that distracts the listener from the otherwise boring orchestral arrangement.
The fourth track, “Senseless,” represents a change in pace for In the Mountain in the Cloud. The song opens with a fuzzed out guitar, reminiscent of the band’s earlier albums. Gourley’s vocals are less timid than on the album’s opening tracks, and the band obviously approached this track with the ferocity present during their live shows. Keyboardist Ryan Neighbors pounds out a piano riff that fleshes perfectly with a spacey organ part, all climaxing with a Stephen Stills Manassas-esque guitar solo courtesy of Gourley.
“Head Is a Flame (Cool With It)” is perhaps one of the strongest songs on the album, with Gourley noodling a psychedelic guitar part throughout the course of the number. Neighbors provides the perfect organ part to move in and out with Gourley’s guitar, while bassist Zachary Carothers pounds out a bass line that serves as a second lead guitar part to Gourley’s (actual) guitar.
Carothers’ worth to the band is evident on “Once was One,” which prominently features a thumping bass part in front of a soft acoustic guitar, and serves as a build up to yet another face melting fuzzed out guitar solo courtesy of Gourley and perhaps the most memorable chorus of the album, “we all turn on.”
The second to last track of the album, “Share With Me The Sun,” is another song that is immediately evident as a future staple of the band’s live set. Gourley and Carother’s guitars work up a groove from the first note, and then Neighbors drives the song with an electrifying keyboard section.
The final track of the record caught me off guard upon first listen, and to be quite honest, still catches me off guard. It builds up from a soft organ part backed by another string section, with Gourley singing “I just want to sleep forever, never see tomorrow, or lead or follow.” The album has a pretty upbeat feel until this, the last song. I’m still trying to put my finger on why this song was included on the album, as it doesn’t particularly fit the lyrical or musical theme for the rest of the album. Whatever…it all builds up to another awesome John Gourley guitar solo, so who really cares anyway.
While In the Mountain in the Cloud isn’t particularly memorable as a whole, it is imperative for the listener to think about each of the songs’ potential to become a part of Portugal. The Man’s live set (I like to call this the “Phish Argument,” and trust me, I LOATHE Phish). Getting past the semi-frequent string sections and anthem heavy feel of the first quarter of the record, Portugal. The Man has come up with another modern psychedelic masterpiece.
Check out Portugal. The Man’s live show Oct. 22 at the Paradise Rock Club.
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