A review of These Broken Hands - Portland

If you were to put into a blender the musical styles of Damien Rice, Ocean Colour Scene, Sara Groves, with a hint of Newton Faulkner you may begin to sample something that resembles the beautiful sound of These Broken Hands by Portland. This is the first of three albums that the Birmingham based band will put out while being signed to the record label The Stereo Tree, who have also recently put out the latest album by The Gentlemen; A Candid History Of Faith, Hope, Love.

The album opens with Carry You and Tonight. Both tracks have been on Portland’s MySpace page for quite some time and I have heard them live a couple of times. Carry You opens with a drum beat, something that you don’t get when the band play live, and then the sound of theacousticguitar, bass guitar and piano come in on top which is then followedby the stunning vocals of Rory Thompson. The backing vocals perfectly complement the song,emphasisingcertain words, phrases or lines. The sound is just comes together beautifully.

Some of the remaining tracks I had heard live, however the majority were new to me. One of the songs that I had heard before, The Letter (track six), really stood out not just musically but lyrically too. The lyrics focus on the events of the crucifixion, looking at the pain of the cross, but also the purpose: “Why do you silently take all the pain? When deep in your heart you were bearing my shame.”

I love the quietness of this album, it is an album you can put on and just relax to while listening. The production on it is solid, giving a really full, rich, sound. This really is a five star album, the only complaint I have about it is that I want it to keep on going! The tracks that really stand out for me are Tonight, Burning Sky and The Letter. A brilliant album, and a bargain for only £10!

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