Album Review: Chris Portka – The Album Everyone Wants
Chris Portka is a courageous man. He used to do the "daily pages" thing for 10 years. As he confessed in an interview to the outlet you're reading, he learned two things. Not too little, not too much.
One of them is that he likes music. This explains a lot. Including the title of his new album "The Album Everyone Wants". If anyone wants anything, it's not albums. They say people don't even listen to full songs. If they listen to anything, it's 5-second snippets of music written and performed by no one cares who, accompanying silly videos of twerking dogs.
But who cares about the people who don't care who wrote and performed the songs? Some people do. I don't. My grandmother doesn't. And, most importantly for today's article, Chris Portka doesn't. Dogs may twerk all they want, people may ignore music longer than 5 seconds. And Chris may ignore the ignoring. And he does. He records albums. And these albums turn out pretty awesome.
Who is Chris Portka, though? The enlightened people will tell you Chris is a Bay Area artist (I wish I knew him when I lived in Petaluma) who is fond of improvisation, experimentation and other stuff like this. What else? Some people like to write, record and produce everything alone. He's one of those folks. Or, rather, used to be. Because "The Album Everyone Wants" has a million collaborators. And a ton of cover versions. Chris Portka world is now an open world. So let's jump in!
"She Looks So Good Tonight" paints with broad strokes: gentle acoustic guitar kisses, scratches of distorted guitars, bites of quirky sound fx, smacks and slaps of loose-jointed drums. Results? "Dreamy, windswept love song of heartache via ocean horizons and late-night revelations through the years; like Nick Drake with everything turned up to 11", if you are to believe the artist's own description.
"Fun in the Summer" is relaxed power pop that echoes Big Star as much as late era R.E.M. This music is like a surfer: it has impressive muscles, but radiates only chill vibes.
It is obvious (at least for some of us) that "It Is Obvious" is a Syd Barrett cover. What does it offer that the original did not? More jangly acoustic guitars! Robust groove!!! Walls of noisy guitars!!!!! It is obvious you can count us in.
Then comes a more meditative reinterpretation of cult classic "Dear Betty Baby", beautifully more accessible than the original, equipped with warm organ chords, satisfyingly chaotic sound FX and simple, almost tribal stomping drums. The track almost sounds like it was recorded the same year as Mayo Thompson's.
"Song to Carol" is beautiful both musically and lyrically. At its heart, it’s a quiet plea for connection and the return of someone deeply missed that sounds like The Velvet Underground trying on the doo-wop hat.
This mood is continued by "Poor Moon", made in the same factory, where the equipment may contain traces of doo-wop. Chris's version sounds even quirkier than the original, and it adds an extra ultra-epic, cosmic perspective.
One of them is that he likes music. This explains a lot. Including the title of his new album "The Album Everyone Wants". If anyone wants anything, it's not albums. They say people don't even listen to full songs. If they listen to anything, it's 5-second snippets of music written and performed by no one cares who, accompanying silly videos of twerking dogs.
But who cares about the people who don't care who wrote and performed the songs? Some people do. I don't. My grandmother doesn't. And, most importantly for today's article, Chris Portka doesn't. Dogs may twerk all they want, people may ignore music longer than 5 seconds. And Chris may ignore the ignoring. And he does. He records albums. And these albums turn out pretty awesome.
Who is Chris Portka, though? The enlightened people will tell you Chris is a Bay Area artist (I wish I knew him when I lived in Petaluma) who is fond of improvisation, experimentation and other stuff like this. What else? Some people like to write, record and produce everything alone. He's one of those folks. Or, rather, used to be. Because "The Album Everyone Wants" has a million collaborators. And a ton of cover versions. Chris Portka world is now an open world. So let's jump in!
"She Looks So Good Tonight" paints with broad strokes: gentle acoustic guitar kisses, scratches of distorted guitars, bites of quirky sound fx, smacks and slaps of loose-jointed drums. Results? "Dreamy, windswept love song of heartache via ocean horizons and late-night revelations through the years; like Nick Drake with everything turned up to 11", if you are to believe the artist's own description.
"Fun in the Summer" is relaxed power pop that echoes Big Star as much as late era R.E.M. This music is like a surfer: it has impressive muscles, but radiates only chill vibes.
It is obvious (at least for some of us) that "It Is Obvious" is a Syd Barrett cover. What does it offer that the original did not? More jangly acoustic guitars! Robust groove!!! Walls of noisy guitars!!!!! It is obvious you can count us in.
Then comes a more meditative reinterpretation of cult classic "Dear Betty Baby", beautifully more accessible than the original, equipped with warm organ chords, satisfyingly chaotic sound FX and simple, almost tribal stomping drums. The track almost sounds like it was recorded the same year as Mayo Thompson's.
"Song to Carol" is beautiful both musically and lyrically. At its heart, it’s a quiet plea for connection and the return of someone deeply missed that sounds like The Velvet Underground trying on the doo-wop hat.
This mood is continued by "Poor Moon", made in the same factory, where the equipment may contain traces of doo-wop. Chris's version sounds even quirkier than the original, and it adds an extra ultra-epic, cosmic perspective.