Reviews

I'll be perfectly honest in saying I'm one of those assholes who judges a CD before I even open it. When I saw the exterior of Portugal the Man's Church Mouth, I made the quick assumption they sounded like Queen. They looked like the type of band who would sound like Queen. Before I even popped in the CD and I read their bio, I realized the critical error of my gross misjudgment.

Portugal The Man, from a small town I've never heard of called Walisa, Alaska, had quite the story to tell independent of that told within the confines of their eclectic music. Front man John Gourley grew up without many of the things society within the continental United States would consider modern luxuries. Without so much as a telephone or Saturday morning cartoons growing up, his family's power generator provided just enough to enjoy his parents' selective record collection.

At this point I should warn that this isn't to say the album is based solely on the 70s music era. The versatility of the album would be cheapened if I were to say any one or even grouping of artists influenced their style. Although I'm sure legends like The Beatles and Led Zeppelin played a role in shaping their musical style, they've seemed to develop something all their own. From the funk influenced track "Sugar Cinnamon," to the choir like chorus of "Dawn," the songs somehow work in unison - not dissimilar to a Pink Floyd album - while also acting as their own separate entities.

The soul influence scattered throughout the album might just be the filling factor for the hollow sound so many classic rock influenced bands attempt to avoid simply with production, which may be attributed to John Gourley's exposure to Motown during his youth. I'd go so far as to say the album was delicately under produced, providing the feeling that the guys were just rocking out when they made Church Mouth with no intention of creating the "perfect album."

I could state right now that making a "for fans of" section of this review would be quite the daunting task. With elements of psychedelic, rock n roll, funk, and indie, I can imagine the wide audience the music would encompass. I can honestly say any fans of Muse, The Mars Volta, Pink Floyd, old Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, or The White Stripes would enjoy Church Mouth; which makes me regret not giving them a listen sooner. They noted, "...we wanted to be a Beatles meets Wu-Tang. But things changed..." If this rings true, I'll be giving a listen to their former albums as well. I don't know if I've done this with a review yet, but five fucking stars.