Send "Portugal The Man: American Ghetto" Ringtones to your Cell 
| Popmatters |
 With a name like American Ghetto, you might expect the fifth studio album from Portland, Oregon’s Portugal The Man to be a raw, relentless collection of indie rock tunes, maybe even a little rough around the edges. Right? Glance at the tracklist—the individual titles evoke appropriately gritty images (“The Dead Dog”, “The Pushers Party”, “When the War Ends”)—and the album even commences with a little dirt: a dusty, stuttering drum kit cracking and popping like a random hip-hop sample from some forgotten soul record withering in your uncle’s attic.It doesn’t take long, though, to figure out what kind of record this really is. From frontman John Baldwin Gourley’s very first vocal, the band establishes a firm, unflinching template of polished, stripped-down, mildly psychedelic indie/soul that couldn’t be further from the grittiness the titles imply. This doesn’t necessarily come as a surprise. 2009’s The Satanic Satanist occupies a similar sonic space, infusing elements of classic soul and pop into their established brand of lightly eclectic and experimental rock. The description sounds refreshing. On that album, they created songs big on charm, but they were ultimately short on personality. Tracks like “Work All Day” and “Lovers in Love” had big hooks, but the flat production robbed the tracks of creative spark. It was safe, easy to digest music that was easy to like, hard to hate, but even more difficult to love. American Ghetto continues this streak of inoffensiveness. Once again, the problems lie not within the songs themselves—Gourley’s voice, while slightly anonymous, has its subtle charms, and the melodies, when they stick, are hard to pry from your brain. Opener “The Dead Dog” features a throbbing chorus of psychedelic guitars that interlocks seamlessly with the descending, minor key chord progression and the soulful plea,“We had ourselves a time!” The stickiest tune is “All My People”, a gorgeous and quietly funky late-night jam nicely supported by guest vocalist Zoe Manville’s airy harmonies. When Gourley smoothly croons in the chorus, “Keep your ha-aaa-ands by your side!”, he could be referencing a police standoff, but in the groovy context, it sounds more like a plea of sexual resistance from an intoxicated lover....full text |
| Underthegunreview |
| Artist: Portugal. The Man Album: American Ghetto Genre: Experimental Indie Rock Label: Approaching AIRballoons, Equal Vision Alaska’s Portugal. The Man have claimed the title of one of America’s most creative rock bands but are most notable for their ambitious out put of recordings. Since 2006 they have released an extensive five albums on top of four EP’s, not only are their large discography impressive but their hard work as a whole is also commendable. They have self financed much of their career and they rarely rely on support from outside contributors and this is almost unheard of in today’s music scene. Continuing to stray from industry stratagem Portugal. The Man are hard to pin to one genre but are heavily rooted in indie rock while incorporating elements of blues, soul and folk. Traditionally, while remaining true to their sound they are still constantly evolving and that remains true on their latest creation and sixth studio album, American Ghetto, now available on Approaching AIRballoons and Equal Vision. Opening on a darker side, “The Dead Dog,” starts with a distorted guitar riff and introduces their newer synth noises that are frequently used throughout this album. Following with an eerie interlude “Break,” employs almost a “white noise,” affect with whispering vocals and keyboard work, this proves that Portugal. The Man are extending further by experimenting among spontaneous sounds, however, at times become overbearing. Fading almost flawlessly into the next track, “60 Years,” frontman John Gourley’s soft yet strong voice is complimented by recurring guest vocalist Zoe Manville’s ethereal vocals. Both vocalists interweave perfectly together and Gourley has drastically matured and offers a much deeper range than his higher pitched falsetto that we’re used to....full text |
| Reviewrinserepeat |
| “Ghetto: /ˈgɛtoʊ/ [get-oh] –noun, plural. 1. a section of a city, esp. a thickly populated slum area, inhabited predominantly by members of an ethnic or other minority group, often as a result of social or economic restrictions, pressures, or hardships.” -Dictionary.com. By titling their fifth album American Ghetto, Portugal. The Man (period always included) are not making a statement about the condition of America, despite your initial (and justified) reaction. No, the Alaska/Oregon indie rock outfit aren’t painting a portrait of the politics of this country. Rather, they are sketching the surface of those whom American marginalizes, those who are not heard - no, not the destitute…no, not the minorities…no, not the conservatives. I’m talking about the lower middle-class, those who live relatively comfortably compared to much of the world but are ignored because of America’s focus on the bipolarity of monetary means. Thus, the American ghetto might be the dilapidated dredges of modern suburbia. Not the suburbia you see in movies, or the quietly fucked-up suburbia of the businessmen and the mildly educated, but the suburbia of those who are trapped by their addictions. Their addictions to lethargy (“The Dead Dog”), dead-end jobs (“60 Years”), and designer drugs (“The Pushers Party”); their addiction to a lifestyle that is as easy and capricious as it is fruitless and vapid. Their social, economic, and personal restrictions are self-inflicted, much moreso than those on welfare or those struggling to make a viable life for themselves....full text |
Portugal The Man: American Ghetto lyrics
|
| ||||