Electronic Sound May 2015 (Regular Edition) | Page 27

were a group who’d made their Mercurynominated name in precision-pitched
instrumentals, with the notable exception
of ‘Steepless’, featuring Swedish singer
Cornelia Dahlgren. What’s surprising is
that this new devotion to vocals doesn’t
go in the Cinematic Orchestra-esque
direction that ‘Steepless’ suggested.
On tracks like ‘101’ and ‘Bright Luck’,
arpeggiated chords merge and entwine
like curling cigarette smoke. In terms of
mood, Burial and James Blake are clearly
touchstones, but the urban, neon-lit
panoramas of Portico are in thrall to
neither.

PORTICO
Living Fields
NINJA TUNE
From jazz mags to Electronic Sound,
it’s been a strange trip for the group
formerly known as Portico Quartet
So that’s it then. Portico Quartet really
are no more. This may come as no
surprise to anyone who followed their
evolution from acoustic jazz through to
the merging of electronic minimalism
and real percussion on their self-titled
third album. But it didn’t take a genius to
notice that this path was unsustainable:
something had to give. Or someone. And
it transpired that someone was hang
player and percussionist Keir Vine.
Judging by the echoing soundscapes
and mournful vocals of ‘Living Fields’,
severing ties makes complete sense.
This is less of an evolution and more
of a creative leap. It’s not compatible
with the past that contained treasures
like ‘Knee-Deep In The North Sea’ and
‘Window Seat’, and Portico are adamant
about that. You could also read much
into the fact that their last album was on
Real World and this one is on Ninja Tune.
This, they clearly state, is not album
number four, it’s the debut.
Perhaps the most obvious change is that
‘Living Fields’ has vocals on eight of the
nine tracks. Previously, Portico Quartet

So well-wrought are these songs that,
despite the contrasting styles of the three
vocalists used – mannered Joe Newman
of alt-J, the expressive Jono McCleery,
and the R&B stylings of Jamie Woon –
they sit on the album together perfectly,
each illustrating and illuminating
contrasting aspects of the Portico vision.
What they all have in common is an

intimacy that’s in stark contrast to the
icy synths and permafrost percussion.
On ‘Brittle’, the reverb drenched setting
and stuttering drum machines allow the
vocals of alt-J’s Joe Newman to blossom,
achieving an emotional impact of a kind
that will surprise alt-J watchers. But the
star here is ‘Bright Luck’. Jono McCleery’s
enveloping vocals spiral off to infinity, as
synths fizz and fall apart in a different
room. It’s a breathtaking achievement,
a piece of such staggering beauty that it
could bring a stone to tears.
Goodbye Portico Quartet and hello
Portico. Welcome to a light-night haze of
haunted 4am cab rides and untethered
emotions. Welcome to a melancholic
world dappled with moments of
euphoria. Welcome to one of the finest
records of the year so far.
ANTHONY THORNTON