Amazing. Perfect, from start to finish.
This excerpt from Stephen Dalton’s review of Portisheads 1993 debut, Dummy, hits the nail on the head.
This is, without question, a sublime debut album. But so very, very sad.
From one angle, its languid slowbeat blues clearly occupy similar terrain to soulmates Massive Attack and all of Bristol hip-hop’s extended family. But from another these are avant garde ambient moonscapes of a ferociously experimental nature.
Portishead’s post-ambient, timelessly organic blues are probably too left-field, introspective and downright Bristolian to grab short-term glory as some kind of Next Big Thing. But remember what radical departures Blue Lines, Ambient Works and Debut were for their times and make sure you hear this unmissable album.
Unmissable definitely sums it up.
Jimmy Smutek 