Album Review: Portugal. The Man - 'In The Mountain In The Cloud'

“Unique” is often a word that can go either way, good or bad, and in the case of Portugal. The Man, it is the perfect word to use when needing a description. Luckily, the scales tip towards the good, and if you would like to know why, have a listen to ‘In The Mountain In The Cloud,’ the group’s new record.

The band have always been reasonably productive and are known for making quite a spectacle of their releases. On this, their sixth record, the record was accompanied by a short film titled ‘Sleep Forever,’ named after the albums massive closing track, during which the band’s front man accidentally kills himself and is eaten by a dog. This sounds crazy but you need to see it to understand it, and even then you probably won’t.

In some ways this is a great way to sum up the psychedelic rock/pop that the band create, which in the past, has toggled between long drawn out jam sessions and standard song structures. Considering this is the group’s first release on a major label one might think they would tighten up the ship and stick to the standard song route in hopes of some radio or commercial attention but instead, and to their credit, they have let the freak outs flow.

The atmospheric You Carried Us (Share With Me the Sun), or the musically driven Everything You See (Kids Count Hallelujahs), are perfect examples of this jam ethos, whilst the first single Got It All (This Can’t Be Living Now), which contains the best guitar riff on the album, is a little bit more suited to the band’s “mainstream” sound.

The album stand out by far however, is All Your Light (Times Like These), a synthesizer heavy track which is made awesome by its vocal style and effects.

Considering the fact that there isn’t a song that pushes the four and a half minute mark, many of the tracks end too quickly, and even though there is brilliance in the fact that they feel like long jams while being short, things seem hurried at times.

The chorus lines are catchy, the guitar riffs are the most memorable sections of the songs and whilst this isn’t music easily digested by everyone, and at times can seem a bit drawn out, Portugal. The Man have released a very unique album.

1. So American
2. Floating (Time Isn't Working My Side)
3. Got it All (This Can't Be Living Now)
4. Senseless
5. Head Is a Flame (Cool With It)
6. You Carried Us (Share With Me the Sun)
7. Everything You See (Kids Count Hallelujahs)
8. All Your Light (Times Like These)
9. Once Was One
10. Share With Me The Sun
11. Sleep Forever