This year’s In The Mountain in the Cloud is Portugal. The Man’s sixth studio album. Their first, Waiter “You Vultures!” was released in 2006. When you consider these two facts it shouldn’t take long to realize a third very impressive one. Yes, this band has released a full-length album every year for the last six years. Add to that five EPs since 2005 and nearly endless touring and you’ve got one hard-working band. Their frenzied pace and dedication to their craft have resulted in a cultivated sound that continues to build and improve with each subsequent release. 2010’s American Ghetto landed the seventh place on last year’s list and they move up a spot to sixth this year.
David Bowie has clearly been an influence on P.TM’s sound and it has never been more clearly evident than on this album, starting right out of the gates with So American. A spacy synth melody kicks it off and leads into a gently strummed guitar progression. The song then continues to layer and build further and further into the atmosphere until it settles into a comfortable little orbit right next to Major Tom. Though released in July, I was pretty sure this album was going to end up somewhere on this list based on the strength of that song alone. With masterful use of synthesizer, strings and singer John Gourley’s falsetto, the rest of the album is more of the same. I won’t pick out album highlights here because I can say without reservation that each and every song is outstanding. I do, however, have to make mention of the fourth track, the electrifying Senseless. It immediately kicks you in the face with it’s urgent, driving beat, and proceeds to the breathtaking conclusion replete with multivocalist chanting and pounding piano and gradually increasing reverb until it transcends this world and echoes through the ether into silence. I was fortunate enough to see them play in December for the first time. They were as great live as I’d expected and I was thrilled that they paid homage to their idol with a spot on cover of Oh You Pretty Things.
This was a tough album for me to place as there are some days when I think it deserves to be higher than number six. The decisions only get harder from here as I crack the top five. The next two have jockeyed for position for the last several weeks. Both are solo artists. Both find success with strong, distinct voices and unorthodox instrumentation. One is relatively new to the scene, this year’s breakout being just her second album. The other is a seasoned veteran whose current release is his 22nd and, much like P.TM, was known to release an album a year (sometimes two!) in his prime.
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