The Satanic Satanist

Album Review

For Portugal. The Man's sixth release in only four years, The Satanic Satanist, the band tones down the progressive leanings demonstrated on Church Mouth, and instead, goes for a straight forward, pop approach. With no song extending much longer than four minutes, John Gourley's bright falsetto matches up with breezy harmonies in a Band of Horses/ My Morning Jacket way while the synthesized instrumentation takes a page from MGMT. The slick electro direction is a pleasant change, although it may be a little disconcerting to fans who appreciate the more indulgent side of PTM. For The Satanic Satanist, they walk away from the playgrounds of their past (which included emo, art-folk, and indie rock) and try their hand at chamber pop by filtering their music through a reverby wash, embracing electronica, and elaborately layering stacks of tracks. Reputed producer Paul Q. Kolderie (Radiohead, Belly, Lemonheads) gives the sound a crystal sparkle, which, paired with the mellow vibe of the album, makes The Satanic Satanist one of the groups' most accessible and easily digestible to date.