ARTICLES ABOUT BETH'S ALBUM "OUT OF SEASON"

Beth Gibbons & Rustin Man - Out of Season
15/11/2002 07:00 PM

Universal Music - Go Beat

On first listening you'll wonder where it was you'd heard this voice before... the answer is Portishead's lead vocalist, Beth Gibbons. Here she's teamed up with Talk Talk's Paul Webb, who's going by the moniker Rustin Man.

Out of Season is an appropriate title for this album, as it's as much out of time as it is out of season, with it's aural sounds hailing back to the early 1960's.

Each track is almost a homage to someone from the past, Tom the Motel could easily be Dusty Springfield or on Romance it could be Billie Holiday.

If you are expecting Out of Season to be a replica you'll be disappointed, as it totally avoids all the electronic beats and samples that are the basis of trip-hop. This album is totally about the pairing of voice and instruments to establish an atmosphere. Any vocal effects used are completed using studio effects and equipment from the 1950's and 60's, such as echo and delay.

The only low point of this album is the final cut 'Rustin Man', which just seems to bury itself under the studio wizardry, almost to a point of not belonging here.

The album is a total collaboration, with Paul providing melodies and chords around Beth's lyrics; they've also been joined by members of their regular gigs, Portishead and Talk Talk featuring on many tracks.

If you were to look for a seek something to relate this album to, look at Nick Drake, Nina Simone or Jeff Buckley.