Portfolio – Reason Outside Nature (2012)

With all the lines between Art Rock, Alternative Rock, Post-Rock and so on getting blurred, it is quite refreshing when we get releases that actually offer more than your average album. Portfolio’s release “Reason Outside Nature” is one of those albums that nicely blends many influences into a very well-crafted palette of sounds. Featuring six tracks, this EP will ease you into tranquility with its very relaxing music.

Opening with the playful “Gringo, Portfolio are dead”, the band nicely establishes a Jazzy Post-Rock foundation that is very catchy and engaging. The trumpet nicely gives depth to this band’s sound and the way it’s carved into the music separates them from the rest. There are some heavy guitars in this track, but they are mostly used to speed things up. With even more class and determination, “Frassica” fills up the room with a sexy and intoxicating atmosphere.

The female vocals on “Ofelia” make this smooth track very relaxing and enjoyable. The band nicely steps back and lets the percussions and some effects do the work in this simple but beautiful track. “Heineken” is a bit more on the Art-Rock side, having a simple structure and catchy drums, while the song is good; it is not something we would listen to in a regular basis. The super sexy “Caribbean army” is probably our favorite track of this release thanks to the well placed trumpets and the songs slow pace.

With such a rich sound to their music, the trio behind Portfolio has done an excellent job at creating intricate songs that evoke emotions.

Release: February 28th, 2012

Country: Italy