Censored Colors

iTunes Review

Having dabbled in everything from to arty- to indie-rock sounds, and even classic rock and soul, Portugal The Man, on their third full-length, explore the last genre a bit deeper, this time coloring it with unabashedly psychedelic hues. The Portland, OR band (by way of Wasilla, AK) seem right at home here, due mostly to John Baldwin Gourley’s incredible falsetto, morphing chameleon-like from one style to another. He has no trouble grooving like a pure soul diva from the ‘70s on tracks like “Salt,” or on “And I,” where he starts off like a somber and passionate John Lennon and ends with layers of piano, guitar, crashing cymbals and strings pushing his spine-tingling voice to the rafters. “Never Pleased” opens with towering layers of organs and guitars, like a ’70s rock opera, and picks up steam until Gourley’s pleading vocals fade into buzzing violins which stealthily creep into the urgent freak-out of “Sit Back and Dream.” “1989” bends synth warbles, weepy strings and Gourley’s supple voice into a dramatic overture, while the stellar first two tracks burn through several genres in eight minutes flat, with “Lay Me Back Down” being worth the admission alone.