Portishead

Portishead - (Mercury/Universal)

To be honest, I hadn't noticed how sadly Portishead were missed in my musical landscape over the last decade. But Third , despite being only the third album from the British threesome (the last was released in 1997), is a powerful soundtrack.

After 10 years, Portishead re-emerges with new energy

INDIO, Calif. -- As Portishead finished its meticulously sparse evening performance at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, the typically reticent Beth Gibbons suddenly leapt off the stage and ran along the fenced-in crowd, exuberantly shaking their hands.

Portishead back after 10-year hiatus

As Portishead finished its meticulously sparse evening performance at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 26, the typically reticent Beth Gibbons suddenly leapt off the stage and ran a 100-yard dash along the fenced-in crowd, exuberantly...

Portishead back after 10-year hiatus with 'Third'

As Portishead finished its evening performance at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival...

Portishead back after 10-year hiatus with 'Third'

As Portishead finished its meticulously sparse evening performance at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, the typically reticent Beth Gibbons suddenly leapt off the stage and ran a 100-yard dash along the fenced-in crowd, exuberantly shaking their hands.

Portishead: Third

(OUT OF 4) After 11 years of recorded silence, nobody had much idea what a new Portishead album would sound like, but it's probably safe to say none of us were expecting this. The Bristol trio's name is already all but synonymous with the lapsed "trip-hop" genre it helped popularize.