Already on my short-list for album of the year, Portishead returns from a decade-long break to give us their third album titled (unironically) Third. Beth Gibbons' voice is still a thing of wondrous beauty and emotion, and the dark, film-noir feel of their previous work is certainly present and accounted for. But Third is anything but a simple retread of ground already covered. There's a wider variety of moods and beats present here, ranging from Can-like motorik rhythms to Silver Apples styled electronic loveliness to cello-led ballads over martial drumbeats (a seemingly unlikely combination that prevails gloriously) to tribal drumming joined by dissonant guitar lines (not to mention the ukelele-led nursery rhyme-ish "Deep Water"). The album opens with "Silence," which has a Can-like momentum, the main rhythms echoing the rush of a train while a soft, yet dominant, electric guitar strums chords to provide counter-rhythms. Dark synths and Gibbons voice provide an inviting menace on top (a common feature throughout). "Hunter" follows, a very slow and spare acoustic guitar, voice, and xylophone meditation. "Nylon Smile" leans heavily on Indian rhythms, while the tribal beat of "We Carry On," one of the album's many highlights, sees Gibbons singing in much more rhythmic patterns than we have previously heard from her. As the album goes on, songs and emotions get progressively darker and, due to the cut-up, jagged nature of many of Barrow's beats, almost nightmarish. Indeed, this is one of those albums that draws you in and gets stronger as it plays on. Don't expect any heartfelt moments of uplift or breeziness (aside from the aforementioned "Deep Water"). Third is all about the varieties of emotions on the dark side of our nature. With music as beautiful and as inventive as this, however, that dark side has rarely sounded more attractive.

Coming out of England, with a lead vocalist who used to be in Portishead wannabes Alpha, The Heavy has put together a record I just can't stop listening to. The group combines the sounds and grooves of blaxploitation soundtracks with smooth vocals often akin to Marvin Gaye or Curtis Mayfield. In addition, there are lots of subtle psychedelic guitar stylings, as well as frequent blues reference points. "Brukpockets Lament" opens with a slow bass and drum blues groove that also has a nice spare electric blues solo. The vocals cry in pain, "I tried to love her/Best that I could/I tried to live/Like a good man should/I tried too hard/Where did I go/Cos my baby don't wanna know," before the tune ends with the sounds of a needle running up against the end of a vinyl record. This song gives way to "Colleen," which has a groovy, horn-driven melody and a Curtis Mayfield as Superfly vocalist singing "She want everything, she want the Gucci and Louis things/She want the Juicy and Canary bling/. . . These girls are so dangerous, it's enough to make a brother break." While each song is carried along by grooves relying on a variety of instruments or samples (e.g., strummed acoustics, walking bass, the beat to the sixties hit "I'm A Man"), The Heavy shows they can also bring the rock with songs like "In The Morning". But what really makes this crew stand out from the retro-funk crowd is the additional touch of Hendrix-lite psych guitar lines that are gently placed into the background of almost every tune, as well as the band's heavy reliance on the blues for shading and dramatic effect. While this is party music of the highest order (especially if it's a 70's themed party), The Heavy's basis in the blues keeps them from being a one-dimensional, feel-good party band, as darker stylings and emotions are also given their due. It is in this latter sense that The Heavy avoids the standard "sounds like" comparisons to forge their own unique offering. Simply put, if you like seventies funk and soul but want something that sounds as modern as it does retro, look no further than Great Vengeance and Furious Fire.