Lives Outgrown - Beth Gibbons: Review
Review by Lav:
Beth Gibbons is the stunning vocalist behind Portishead, who she made 3 albums with between 1994 and 2008. I'm a big fan of both the band's first and third albums and I've been following the prospect of Beth's solo album for a long time. Part of the promotion of Lives Outgrown has included the claim that the record has been 10 years in the making, with the original announcement of her intention to release a solo album coming back in 2013. The record that resulted truly does feel like it has 10 years of labor under its belt. With masterful sonic arrangements and many of the best performances of her entire career, Beth's debut solo album is an odyssey that's among the most impressive feats I've heard all year.
The mastery of this record and my high anticipation for it began with the incredible singles. Floating On A Moment is a mystifyingly good song. The guitar riff, while simple, is absolutely infectious and the children's chorus that works its way into the song is absolutely beautiful. The song is simply a master-stroke of pacing and building sonic and thematic tension for just the right moment. That was followed by Reaching Out, which features a driving instrumental that packs a significant punch. It also features one of the most layered performances I've ever heard from Beth who stretches from whispering eerie refrains directly into your ear to giving herself her own eerie background vocals and paying it all off by absolutely belting when the moment calls for it.
Lost Changes is the third single and somehow my least favorite of the singles which is crazy because the song is great. It still has this haunting feeling of impending disaster that's kept up throughout much of the record. The lyrics don't read nearly as dark as the song sounds, instead opting more as a piece of advice on the inevitability of change. That feeling of impending doom pops up again later in the record called Beyond The Sun. It features thundering drums and crashing cymbals backing Beth's beautiful vocal repetition. It's an expansive song that wanders through a variety of distinct passages even with its relatively short runtime. The way the song drives and builds with this marching motion is a remarkable listening experience.
I wish it had a slightly more dramatic payoff on the closing track Whispering Love. It's the longest song on the record and I was expecting a sweeping six-minute grand finale. But what actually unfolds is much slower and more elegant than I was anticipating. The song hovers on this thin ledge of squeaking instrumentation and subtle tension. Though it's compelling I can't help but feel like it could have crystalized the entire record with a distinctive conclusion. The only other song on the album I find a bit underwhelming is Oceans. It's one of the less notable songs here despite still having some good moments. Mostly I just think the refrains begin to feel a bit routine as it unfolds.
Everything else on the record isn't just great, it's stunning. Sometimes that comes through sonically. Opener Tell Me Who you Are Today combines distant drums and fluttering keys serving as a sturdy instrumental palette for her to wander vocally. As the song drives on Beth's performance begins to reach higher and higher with greater results. Rewind is the scariest song on the record and I think it's another stroke of genius. It wastes no time getting started with a confrontational instrumental that manages to be more haunting than ever without having to increase the tempo by much. It's crystalized with lyrics on the hook about things being out of control and too far to rewind.
Speaking of lyrics, Burden Of Life might be the biggest lyrical highlight on the album. It sees Beth reframing everything that having a life compels you to do as a burden when you're unable to achieve them. The song had this sour string interpolation that fits perfectly with the frustration expressed through the lyrics. For Sale has a sway to it that's unique for the album as it bounces back and forth. It's a great palette for Beth to call out over addressing listeners directly asking questions and warning of those selling dreams.
Lives Outgrown is one of the best albums I've heard this year. Beth Gibbons' long-awaited solo debut features expansive arrangements worthy of her vocal power and versatility. What I wasn't expecting was how dark the album is, both sonically and thematically. While it isn't without its bright moments, Gibbons extracts tension from nearly every single moment. There isn't much more I can do to explain how this record achieves its greatness. Gibbons shows off the vocal power we've always known she possesses and backs it up with a lyrical poignancy sharper than ever before. Combined with the masterfully crafted instrumentation and mixing and you get a definitive first statement that lives up to every expectation I had for it and more. 8.5/10
For more stunning musical passages check out my review of Julia Holter's Something In The Room She Moves
