Few bands have the creative power, material, and time to put out an album annually since its inception. Portugal. The Man do just this, having released their sixth full length album since their 2006 debut, Waiter: “You Vultures!” For such little time between each release, lack of evolvement is of no concern. P.TM have gradually developed from early rockers with experimental and progressive tendencies to a more recent modern, classic sound.
In The Mountain, In The Cloud exemplifies their unique approach to crafting catchy, accessible tunes that remain riddled with audacious sonics and a sense of euphonic vision. Front man John Gourley, both artist and musician, successfully portrays such imagery with his vast tonal palette.
In other words, it seems P.TM aimed to create an album actually representing mountains and clouds. Based on its waving rhythms, and the resulting air carrying each melody, these songs seem to be floating on Super Mario clouds. Introductory tracks “So American”, “Floating (Time Isn’t Working My Side)”, and “Got It All (This Can’t Be Living)” are soulful and uplifting, feeling as if they have taken flight.
The middle of the album displays synth elements (Senseless) and blues inspired riffs (Head Is A Flame), reminiscent of earlier P.TM work. The structural consistency ensues throughout; however, this becomes problematic for a band originally known for, well, their originality. They stick to a verse/chorus formula for most of these tracks, which could lead to a short shelf life after the immediate power of the hooks has subsided.
Portugal. The Man bring some new tricks to the tables though (see highlights including horn soloing in “Everything You See” and various vocal effects scattered throughout.) This makes for a fresh, fun album, one that makes for an anthemic summer album. In fact, if stripped down, In The Mountain, In The Cloud could be rendered entirely acoustic, following in the same vein as 2009’s The Satanic Satanist, and played by campfire.
Overall, this is another strong release from one workhorse of a band. By now, they’ve earned the rights for such polished production, courtesy of Atlantic Records, their first album since signing to the major label in April of 2010. For all their devoted efforts, they make this seem effortless. And the results are hardly dissatisfying.
