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Editorial Review:
As collaborations go, the partnership of Portishead's ghostly singer Beth Gibbons and Paul "Rustin' Man" Webb (former bassist of 80s pop band Talk Talk) seems an extremely unlikely one. However, as Out of Season shows, the pair--who met in 1990 when Gibbons auditioned for Webb's post Talk Talk band O'Rang--have a surprising amount in common, including a love of supremely melancholic melodies and eerily atmospheric backdrops. Ambling quietly from the mournful folk of "Mysteries", through the twilight piano lament of "Show" and the uneasy cinematic sway of "Spyder", Out of Season creates a dreamily sinister otherworld that's both vintage and timeless. Yet, despite relying solely on beautifully bittersweet melodies and acoustic instrumentation to conjure its twisted romance--instead of the usual murky trip-hop beats and studio manipulation associated with Gibbons' dysfunctional songs--the fundamental chill of Portishead is ever present. And that's because, for all the wonderful, sleepy lullabies, it's the haunting isolation that fills Gibbons' every note that captivates. Even on the gorgeously hazy lounge tunes "Romance" and "Sand River"--both brimming with Burt Bacharach style optimism--she manages to sound like Dusty Springfield with a dark and tragic secret. She has an amazingly affecting voice, which makes Out of Season a truly magical album. --Dan Gennoe
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
A great album indeed. Almost brings you to tears. I bought this cd after falling in love with Beth's voice. Comparisons with Portishead are unavoidable, but completely unsuccesfull. This cd constists of two kinds of songs. 1) Great songs, dare I say masterpieces (Mysteries, Tom the model, Fummy time of year) and 2) Almost great songs (all the rest). This is definetely not an album that'll wake you up in the morning, it's MEANT to be played late at night, to let Beth's voice haunt your late hours, and why not, close your eyes and travel with your mind... more info
Haunting and Criminally Underrated Beth Gibbons has the kind of achingly beautiful voice which could make a statue cry real tears. Forget comparisons to Billie Holiday, because Beth's voice stands alone. Those familiar with her Portishead work will be very much aware of how much emotion she is able to hold in her vocals, and this little gem of an album is no different. It's criminally underrated and vastly superior to the vast majority of far more celebrated female vocalists such as PJ Harvey. The opening song, 'Mysteries' is haunting... more info
The Voice If great music is often about great voices, then Beth Gibbons deserves far more recognition than she generally receives. This album, complete with Talk Talk's rhythm section, is an absolute delight.
The retro-electronica of Portishead is replaced by a warm pastoral/ acoustic backing that brings out the best in Beth's voice. And, if the intensity of this record means it isn't one that you will play week-in-week out, it is nevertheless so strong that you will keep revisiting it over the years and... more info
The Calvary cross Let me put it straight, reading some of the other reviews just confirmed that "C...s are still running the world" as Jarvis Cocker says so aptly. This album is in the same category as "I want to see the bright lights tonight". No less, no more. Haunting. Somewhere between "Inferno" and "Purgatory" in Dante's divine comedy, when things seem to be getting better. Autumn leaves.
