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Portugal. The Man
Church Mouth
(Fearless)
First Appeared in The Music Box, July 2007, Volume 14, #7
Written by John Metzger
Freedom is an inherent part of the indie rock scene, and it is both a
blessing and curse. More than ever, bands rise and fall in plain view, and most
attract sizeable followings and a wealth of attention long before they are
ready. The early stages of careers are known for being periods of rapid
evolution, and where a group begins is not necessarily where it winds up making
its mark. Everything from current trends to personal taste tug and pull at an
outfit, but if it catches a break too soon, it can be locked into a game plan
that it doesn’t necessarily want. Many ensembles are ripped apart by the
process, and successful leaps into the mainstream are due as much to a group’s
talent they are to a perfect alignment of cosmic forces.
The Alaskan trio known as Portugal. The Man stumbled out of the gate with its
2004 effort Waiter: "You Vultures!". The band’s ambitions were apparent,
but its execution did little to mask its pretentiousness. Portugal. The Man’s
subsequent EP It’s Complicated Being a Wizard provided no reason to
change this perspective, though the set did serve both to highlight the
ensemble’s grand aspirations as well as to signal that perhaps it had not yet
solidified its sound. In crafting its sophomore effort Church Mouth,
Portugal. The Man swapped the drum machines and sequencers that defined Waiter: "You Vultures!" for the more traditional constructs of a power trio,
and in effect it has set its sight upon the niche market that has been dominated
by The White Stripes. As last year’s buzz band Wolfmother proved, there’s room
for more than one outfit at the top.
Throughout Church Mouth, Portugal. The Man turns the blues into a
heavy metal stomp of crashing drums, thrashing guitars, and orgasmic squeals.
While the music frequently feels as if it sprang from a Led Zeppelin revival, it
also is more heavily shaded with southern gospel textures. The call-and-response
vocals that dot its landscape combined with the religious imagery that runs
rampant through its lyrics pave a path that leads, perhaps, to salvation, though
the stench of death — and the uncertainty about what it actually means — seems
to linger around every corner. Electronic effects drift in and out of the
picture like wraiths, adding an eerie, Beck-ish quality to the proceedings.
The problem, however, is that while Portugal. The Man has found its focus, it
hasn’t yet discovered a way of making an album that is engaging from start to
finish. Its use of dynamics is considerably flawed. As a result, the songs on Church Mouth melt into a blurry, nondescript haze. Loudness, after all,
doesn’t necessarily translate into conviction. In the end, Portugal. The Man
doesn’t quite find the transcendence it is seeking, but if the ensemble doesn’t
get locked within a vicious cycle of its own hype, it ought to be able to find
the time to refine its craft. One day, it might even succeed in parlaying the
ideas it has outlined on Church Mouth into something it can call its own. 
Church Mouth is available from Amazon.com.
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Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 2007 The Music Box
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