Source: USA TODAY, October 28, 1997

POP/ROCK: Portishead (# # # out of four)

On this self-titled sequel to 1994's Dummy, Portishead takes its ethereal
trip-hop to murkier depths, smothering jazz and hip-hop tendencies in a thick haze of despair. Though nothing here rivals past
hit Sour Times (Nobody Loves Me), most of the 11 originals make fine use of Beth Gibbons' cool, disembodied vocals
(especially potent on first single All Mine) and Geoff Barrow's sonic alchemy. Weeping guitars, tense turntable scratching and
creepy effects underscore the pain in torchy laments about love' s cruel twists. Even when tedium seeps in, Portishead's bleak,
claustrophobic sound tugs at the psyche with morbid grace.

Edna Gundersen