Review Summary: Darkness, my old friend...
Beth Gibbons has been making music for over 2 decades. Being of Portishead fame, she certainly is no stranger to some sort of spotlight. I myself am a relatively new listener of Portishead, only recently getting into them within the past month or so, but it’s not hard to see why Beth is as highly lauded as she is. Her serenely melancholic vocals soaring behind the somtimes warm, sometimes extremely eerie production is the main highlight of the entire group.
Lives Outgrown is Beth’s first album as a solo artist, and be warned, if you’re expecting a mere Portishead ripoff, you’ll be highly disappointed.
Lives Outgrown is rooted in folk music, but that would be the worst way to pigeonhole the beautiful art that Beth has created here. There’s an everlasting sense of melancholy and a heaviness draped over the entire 46 minute runtime. The cold atmosphere of chamber pop is just as prevelant as the folky backdrop of the whole album. Take for example the aptly titled “Burden of Life”. The desolate acoustics hum as Beth’s haunting voice croons that “the burdens of life just won’t leave me alone”.
Lives Outgrown has the sense of dread around every corner. Yes this is folk music but the underlying darkness gives you the vibe of Beth making her way through a medieval village of some sort. Pleading for help as she tries to escape capture. On “Oceans”, Beth complains about her life being “tired and worn” as the acoustics create a dark “old Western” esque atmosphere.
I truly hope Beth is alright because this is some extremely dark and morbid stuff. The outright depressing lyrics are as if Beth is writing in her diary about all her hopes and dreams that have been dashed into pieces. Right when you feel a sense of being uplifted, the dreadful atmosphere and haunting vocals will pull you right back down. One step forward, two steps back. That’s how life can be a lot of the time. Lucky for us, Beth’s misery is our enjoyment.
Lives Outgrown is in a league of its own. You’re welcome to join in on the depression!
