Out of Season: Beth Gibbons & Rustin Man: Amazon.ca: Music

1. MYSTERIES

2. TOM THE MODEL

3. SHOW

4. ROMANCE

5. SAND RIVER

6. SPIDER MONKEY

7. RESOLVE

8. DRAKE

9. FUNNY TIME OF YEAR

10. RUSTIN MAN

11. CANDY SAYS

Product Description

From Amazon.com

As collaborations go, the partnership of Portishead's ghostly singer Beth Gibbons and Paul "Rustin Man" Webb (former bassist of '80s pop band Talk Talk) seems an extremely unlikely one. However, as Out of Season shows, the pair have a surprising amount in common, including a love of supremely melancholic melodies and eerily atmospheric backdrops. Ambling quietly from the mournful folk of "Mysteries" through the twilight piano lament of "Show" and the uneasy cinematic sway of "Spyder," Out of Season creates a dreamily sinister otherworld that's both vintage and timeless. Yet, despite relying solely on beautiful bittersweet melodies and acoustic instrumentation to conjure its twisted romance--instead of the usual murky trip-hop beats and studio manipulation associated with Gibbons's dysfunctional songs--the fundamental chill of Portishead is ever present. And that's because, for all the wonderful, sleepy lullabies, it's the haunting isolation she conveys with every note that captivates. Even on the gorgeously hazy lounge tunes "Romance" and "Sand River"--both brimming with Burt Bacharach-style optimism--she manages to sound like Dusty Springfield with a dark and tragic secret. She has an amazingly affecting voice, which makes Out of Season a truly magical album. --Dan Gennoe

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Customer Reviews

17 Reviews

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
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Average Customer Review

4.6 out of 5 stars (17 customer reviews)

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4.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful "Season", Jun 5 2004

By

E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME) (TOP 10 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Out of Season (Audio CD)

You know her best as the ethereal voice of Portishead, but in "Out of Season" Beth Gibbons strays away from indie trip-hop into melancholy acoustic pop, jazz and folk, collaborated with Paul "Rustin Man" Webb of Talk Talk. This autumn-toned collection is melancholy and pensive, a bittersweet little gem.

"Out of Season" starts off strong with the gentle, plaintive "Mysteries," followed by the shimmery "Tom the Model," the piano ballads "Show" and "Resolve," jazzy "Sand River," and the brilliantly murky "Spider Monkey." It finally wraps up with the bizarrely enticing "Rustin Man," a wavering outflow of shimmery sonic currents and Gibbons' submerged vocals.

The opening lines of "Sand River" ("Autumn leaves/Beauty's got a hold on me/Autumn leaves/Pretty as can be") pretty much describe "Out of Season." The cool prettiness of Portishead carries over to the folkier, simpler tunes.

Beth Gibbons' vocals are outstanding, clear and sensual in just about every song. "Rustin Man" and "Romance" are the exceptions. In the former, her voice sounds seductively mechanical; in the latter, she almost sounds like she's parodying a torch singer sometimes. It's a little disconcerting, but her voice is almost uniformly beautiful.

The instrumentation is stripped-down to bare bones: piano and acoustic guitar, most of the time. Adding a bit of extra flavor are gentle string accompaniments, and a bit of subtle organ work. And the songwriting goes more towards being moodily evocative, with quiet lines like "And those water-coloured memories/Soft as a summer's breeze/You're as pretty as can be."

Though a little uneven at times, "Out of Season" is like a fall morning -- cool, pretty and faded. Beth Gibbons' foray into non-Portishead turf is a solid one, and this collection of autumnal ballads is definitely a keeper.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic, May 2 2004

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Joshua W. Hutchison "Relentless Ink" (Saint Louis, MO, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Out of Season (Audio CD)

Like David Lynch's Blue Velvet, this is a work of genius teetering on the edge of over-the-top strangeness. The dark, atmospheric instrumentation, the sparse orchestration, and above all Gibbons' haunting voice make for an aural expeience not unlike a nightmare of 50s Suburbia--perhaps the confessions of a Mid-America would-be prom queen in a dysfunctional family. (Or, I suppose, the British equivalent.) Even if it is a downer, one must admit that as far as unity of theme, musicality, and pure moodiness, it is an amazing achievement. At a time when pop music is becoming increasingly shallow and impertinent, this album is a must-listen if for no other reason than that it is truly expressive, well-thought-out, and provocative.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Mysteries, April 21 2004

By

alexander laurence (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Out of Season (Audio CD)

Before Beth Gibbons joined Portishead she tried out for another band headed by Paul Webb of Talk Talk. They never did anything but stayed in touch. When Portishead went into hiatus a few years ago, they decided to hook up again and record Out of Season. They enlisted some of the people from Portishead and Talk Talk. One thing that is gone is the hiphop beats. Some other influences come through, like Leonard Cohen and Nina Simone. Much of the music is minimal like Nick Drake. They even have a song called "Drake" for some reason. They even do a live version of "Candy Says" by Velvet Underground. The result is a beautiful and haunting record. Mostly composed of vocals and acoustic guitar or piano. She sing "And the moments that I enjoy/a place of love and mystery/I'll be there anytime" in the opening track "Mysteries." Much of this album was recorded in the English countryside, and has an autumn feel. They have created a record that seems timeless and against fashion.

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent solo album from Beth Gibbons
A strong member of Portishead, on her first solo outing, OUT OF SEASON, we find Beth Gibbons even stronger on her own in terms of songwriting and vocals. Read more

Published on April 6 2004 by Jake Z

5.0 out of 5 stars Tom the Model
Beth Gibbons has a hot sensual voice, which you could listen to all day. As this was the first time, I have heard Beth sing , Beth knocked my socks off my feet. Read more

Published on Mar 29 2004 by Terence Riley