Review Summary: The band crafts their best work yet, jam packed with catchy hooks and soulful tunes.
Portugal. The Man are back creating awkward looking sentences in my writing with their self proclaimed larger than life name, and besides that, they have a new album out. Tastefully named The Satanic Satanist (seriously, what is with the title?), Portugal. The Man's fourth LP takes their signature progressive indie sound and perfects it to bring us one of the best records of the year. Clocking in at only 35 minutes, the 11 tracks average around 3 minutes each, making this a short and easy listen you will find yourself coming back to over and over again.
The record opens up with a bluesy guitar riff into vocalist John Baldwin Gourley's famous high pitched singing. The opener, "People Say", is a perfect representation of the ride you are in for when you start The Satanic Satanist. Upbeat, catchy, and filled with hooks, the first 3 songs on this album pull you right in. "People Say", "Work All Day" and "Lovers in Love" all follow the same formula of verse-chorus-verse-chorus with a solo or two thrown in the mix, each song ending and blending into the next. Much like a good book or movie, hooking the reader/viewer in from the beginning is key. These 3 songs are so short and fun that you will find yourself coming back to them again and again, and more often than not, just letting the album run through to the end.
The next combo of songs, "The Sun", "The Home" and "The Woods" are more diverse than the previous three. "The Sun" is a moody song, layered with acoustic guitar and piano with dual vocal melodies between John and Zoe (Manville). "Do you ever listen/To the sounds that your hands make/Did you know that/We could/Make sounds" starts out "The Home". At first you would be expecting a song filled with handclaps and electronic noises reminiscent of Animal Collective, but instead you get a bass heavy rock tune slapped with two large hooks and multiple guitar solos that make good use of various guitar effects. Ending this song hat trick is "The Woods". An obvious reference to the bands roots in Alaska, "The Woods" is a great centerpiece to the album. A booming drum beat and a faint acoustic guitar lead the song on while John and Zoe trade off verses then come together for a chorus.
The last set of songs is where things go astray. "Guns and Dogs" fades in from "The Woods" and returns to the simple catchy format of the first three songs. Heavy on the bass and synth with a country inspired guitar line, this is one of the best songs on the album, captivating everything that is good about the album in under 3 minutes. "Do You" sounds like Portugal's attempt at a Flaming Lips song; a hypnotic chorus repeats countless times while the guitar and bass chug along. Here is where things turn south. The second longest song, "Everyone is Golden" is easily the worst song on the album. Repeating "Everyone is golden" more times than you can count on your fingers and toes in only 3 and a half minutes, this song really has nothing going for it. Followed by another sub-par track, "Let You Down" is a piano ballad that just doesn't keep your attention. Ending on a good note, "Mornings" is a beautiful song that will remind you of the bands earlier work on "Censored Colors". An acoustic guitar follows John voice while the synth dominates the background creating a great soundscape. A sampled guitar solo is thrown in and other effects to keep the song interesting. John sings out "I don't believe" as the song fades out on a single key note, bringing the short, but sweet album to a close.
Portugal. The Man crafts a fun and soulful album that tops all of their earlier works. Their previous effort, "Censored Colors" was an immense piece of music, but dragged on and lacked the cheery soul that The Satanic Satanist proudly displays. The record may be a bit of a grower; The vocals may take some getting used to, especially with the harmonizing between John and Zoe, but at 5 minutes longer than your favorite TV show, it is worth giving a few plays to grow on you. The band does almost everything right here, making short memorable songs and leaving the listener satisfied in an easy listen. A couple bad songs drag this album down, but shouldn't keep anyone from giving Portugal. The Man a chance.
