I was quite surprised when I heard Portishead was going to play some gigs this year. What’s more, they were going to release a new album (after 11 years!). Third could have been a mediocre comeback from a band that used to be great in the 90's but didn’t know which way to choose after a decade. Surprisingly, their first album in this new century is far from disappointing. They sound tougher now. Songs like “Machine Gun” are full of aggressive samples, but the musical concept is just the same, and Beth Gibbons still has an amazing voice. Maybe aggressive is not the appropriate word here. Third is quite warlike, with those horns in tracks like “Threads” (or sounds from helicopters in "Plastic") and heavy drums. Lyrics are still emotionally impacting sometimes. “Cause I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve you / And I don’t know what I’ll do without you,” Gibbons sings. I wish all comebacks were like this album. - Grey