Portishead – Third (Island)
Portishead was one of my ex-wife’s favorite bands. When we split and went through the obligatory “yours” and “mine” division, she got to keep the Portishead albums. She also got to keep the Morcheeba and Boards of Canada records, but I don’t really miss those. I did, however, miss those Portishead releases.
But because Portishead conjured up unfavorable memories of a part of my life, I resisted acquiring Third, the band’s first album in nearly a decade. They hold for me a soundtrack of depression, a couple dreading middle age to the point that they look for any opportunity to deaden the pain. Considering this, I still remember how good they were at that soundtrack.
Another reason why I held back was the reality that I am in a much different place now and I really have no interest in reliving the dread that was ten years ago. At the end of the day, I needed to reclaim some of my music that was tainted from a failed relationship and, as is the case of Portishead, needed to stop being afraid of the music that was introduced by her.