The unforgettable voice of Portishead offers, in the twilight of his fifties, a first solo album – yes, solo, since Out of Season (2002) was a duo project with Rustin Man. Beth Gibbons presents it as the fruit of a decade of work, of which she has retained more of the trials experienced to compose this ten eloquent songs. The string orchestrations coat the introduction (Tell Me Who You Are Today) and the conclusion (Whispering Love) of this album designed with the warm timbres of folk guitars and hollow-sounding drums. On these musical dominants rests the skin-deep voice of the singer, who magnificently co-realizes her project in the company of James Ford (Simian Mobile Disco). She sings of mourning (poignant Burden of Life), the wear and tear of old age, solitude, but in such a way as to reassure the listener, sometimes by shaking him up, as on the intense rewind, which will recall the Tom Waits style. A candid and solemn album which will accompany us to the list of best albums of 2024.
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