Portugal. The Man - "Chris Black Changed My Life"

A fitting tribute

The Indie/Alt/Psychedelic Rock/Pop quintet is finally back. Weirdly enough, like Kelly Clarkson, they last released an album in 2017 (again, ignoring Clarkson’s Christmas album). Like Clarkson, they suffered personal loss in the interim.

The album name pays tribute to a friend of the band, Chris Black, who died “suddenly” in 2019. Apparently, his death nearly ended the band, as everybody fell apart in grief. Ultimately, they have pulled together and are finally back to producing music.

The album strays all over the tempo chart, but the intense, vibey atmosphere persists in every track. It’s at points upbeat and danceable, low-key and mournful, and even filled with harsh, punky anger and angst once or twice.

The strongest section, though, are the two tracks (“Time’s a Fantasy” and “Doubt”) where the album seemingly faces the emotional turmoil which haunts the band’s continued existence. It’s the lowest point on the album, but the sincerity is real. And the bassline on “Doubt” is incredible.

But there are great moments throughout. This is a solid album for background music. The heart of it deserved a bit more pointed attention, though, and I would appreciate a bit…more from it. Excluding the intro, it’s only ten tracks long, and 33 minutes. Sure, seven of the ten songs break the three minute mark, but only four break 3:05, and only two go beyond 3:30.

It’s a good album full of very good music. PTM fans should be happy with this one.

Rating: Green